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LIGHT MY CANDLE 


A BOOK OF REFLECTIONS 




















“Light My enue 


A BOOK OF REFLECTIONS 





“The Spirit of Manis the Candle of the Lord’ 
—Proverbs 20:27 


BY 
HENRY VAN DYKE 


43 aa AN DYKE 





























New YorK CHICAGO 


Fleming H. Revell Company 


LonpDOoN AND EDINBURGH 





Copyright, 1926 by 
FLEMING H. REVELL COMPANY 


Copyright, 1924, 1925, 1926, by The Republic Syndicate 


New York: 158 Fifth Avenue 
Chicago: 17 North Wabash Ave. 
London: 21 Paternoster Square 


Edinburgh: 99 George Street 


PREFACE 


Tus book is a harvest of youth and age,—the work 
of a son and his father. 

Our way of working together was singular. We were 
not living in the same house, nor even in the same town. 
We were not consulting each other daily about the book, 
nor collaborating on the separate chapters. Each of us 
was busy with his own regular job. But when we met 
we talked over things in general, and from time to time 
each would write down, briefly and carefully, the re- 
flections which came to him about life, and the faith 
which animates life, and the hope which gives it the 
promise of immortality, and the love human and Divine 
which makes it worth living. 

These reflections, gathered in this volume, are not 
meant to be taken as definitions of doctrine or hard and 
fast rules of conduct. ‘They are simply rays from the 
lanterns of two travelers through the woods seeking 
the same goal. One has just passed the half-way house; 
the other must be pretty near the end of the road. 

But the curious thing about these notes of spiritual 
travel is that there is no outstanding difference between 
those which come from youth and those which come 
from age. ‘The reader will find it difficult to tell when 
the son is speaking and when the father. ‘The writers 
themselves have sometimes found the same difficulty. In 
assembling the paragraphs for the book we have asked 
each other, “ Did you write that, or did I?” 

_ Now the reason for this strange unity of purpose and 
spirit seems to us clear and worth noting here at the 


5 


outset. It is not the effect of a deliberate conformity, as 
if one of us were the teacher and the other the pupil, 
one the leader and the other the follower. It is rather 
the result,—unconscious in its operation,—of a convic- 
tion which we share. Our religion is a heritage. It is 
not our own discovery or invention. It comes to us, in 
its vital essence, from those who have gone before us on 
the path of faith and hope and love. Above all it comes 
to us from Jesus of Nazareth, the Divine Saviour who 
became the son of man to give us power to become the 
sons of God. 

Thus we dare to speak of our religion even as we 
speak of our country, not because it belongs to us, but 
because we belong to it. It is given to us to have, but 
not to hold. Say rather to share, to spread, to develop 
in new uses, to apply to new problems, to cast a ray into 
dark places, to pass on to others if they will accept it. 

If the Lord lights our candle, shall we not hold out 
our little candlestick to other guests in the Great House 
before we all go up to bed? 

HENRY VAN DYKE. 


A NEW HEART FOR THE NEW YEAR 


There is no new thing under the sun.—Ecclesiastes 1: 9. 
He that sitteth on the throne said, Behold I make all 
things new.—Revelation 21: 5. 


From the point of view of material circumstances 
there is nothing new under the sun. ‘There is not even 
a New Year; there is only another year. 

Our forefathers traveled by coach, or on horseback, 
on foot and by sailing ship. We by express trains, float- 
ing palaces, automobiles and flying-machines. But these 
are only new methods of doing the same old thing. 
Progress in material efficiency, increase of speed, implies 
nothing new in the elemental circumstances of life. 

Yet John, standing on rocky Patmos, with the eternal 
heavens above him and the ancient ocean around him, 
heard Him that sitteth on the throne saying, Behold I 
make all things new. 

How is this? Surely the meaning is plain: Christ 
makes all things new because He produces a change in 
us and in our relations to all things. 

The only way to find a new heaven and a new earth 
is to obtain a new heart. When we become new crea- 
tures in Christ Jesus the old things are passed away, 
behold they are become new! 

It is the folly of earthly wisdom that men limit the 
idea of newness to that which is novel,—experienced for 
the first time. In truth the familiar is also “new” if 
we approach it with a fresh heart. 

The man who is renewed in Christ is like one return- 
ing to life from a desperate illness. “To him the familiar 
trees and grass and sky are new—not because they are 
different from what they always were, but because he 
himself is made new by an inward transformation. 


A COMPETENCE 
Give me neither poverty nor riches.—Proverbs 30: 8. 


All level-headed people agree that enough is as good 
as a feast,—probably even better, when digestion is con- 
sidered. But the point where opinions begin to differ is 
the definition of ‘‘ enough.” 

One person feels poor with an income which other 
persons would regard as rich. One man is happy in a 
home which other men would despise as a hovel. 

““’To retire on a competence ” used to be the ambition 
of worthy men of business. But what is a competence? 
And why should an able-minded man retire, when work 
is the best thing for him? 

Evidently there are practical questions here which can 
not be settled by bromidic platitudes. A man must work 
them out for himself, with certain general principles to 
guide him. 

1. Remember the word of Christ: What shall it profit 
a man if he gain the whole world and lose his own soul ? 

2. Take counsel from St. Paul: Having food and rai- 
ment, let us therewith be content. 

3. Listen to the doctors: Plain food is better than 
rich food, and simple pleasures are more healthful than 
luxuries. 

4. Earn as much as you can honestly, making the aim 
of your labour not wealth but usefulness. 

5. When you come to the end of your working power, 
rest and be thankful, and help others who have been 
less fortunate. 


SILENCED FAITH 


The word is nigh thee, in thy mouth and in thy heart: 
that is the word of faith—Romans 10: 8. 


Nothing is easier than to show, to the serious and 
capable thinker, that faith is the basis on which alone all 
thought and activity are possible. The difficulties arise 
chiefly with the half-baked thinker, the wilfully preju- 
diced (for reasons of personal profit), and the abysmally 
ignorant. Most men who lead a normal human life 
come sooner or later to the reverent recognition of faith. 
The contest which the religious teacher or preacher must 
enter is not with human nature as at heart unbelieving, 
but with the things which make men unwilling or unable 
to confess their faith. Much has been written about the 
pain of an unspoken confession of guilt. Not enough 
about the anguish of a silenced faith. 

Perhaps the work of religion would be greatly for- 
warded in the world if we all recognized that faith is 
native to the soul and then set to work to liberate, each 
in the other, the expression of that faith. 

For any one who looks with understanding upon men 
must appreciate the unspeakable torment of unbelief. 
Only that man whose whole life bears witness to a faith 
greater than himself can obtain happiness in this world. 

Is there not in that a real lesson both for believers and 
for those who are temporarily unbelievers? 


DISSOLVING HABITATIONS 


For we know that if the earthly house of our taber- 
nacle be dissolved, we have a building from God, a house 
not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.—I1 Co- 
rinthians 5: I. 





To one who has lived long in New York, or any other 
of our big cities, nothing is more remarkable than the 
melting away of great houses, once the landmarks. of 
their time. In my own brief day I have seen princely 
habitations built of costly materials, illumined with regal 
gayety, and now crumbled into rubbish, to make room 
for the new abodes of commerce and democratic wealth. 

When will vain man learn that he is but a pilgrim 
and a stranger, and that his most splendid mansions are 
only tents and tabernacles? 

This is the figure of speech that St. Paul uses to illus- 
trate the frailty and transience of the bodies in which we 
men and women live on earth. 

Disease weakens them, accidents threaten them, old 
age pulls them down. Shall we then be naked, shelter- 
- less, homeless? 

No, says Paul, for God is building a house for us 
which is eternal,—the spiritual body. 

What is it like? Ah, that we cannot yet understand. 
But we know that it is built of faith, and hope, and love, 
the three things which abide forever. 


Io 


HISTORY AND LIFE 


Remember ye not the former things, neither consider 
the things of old.—lIsaiah 43: 18. 
Remember the former things of old.—lIsaiah 46: 9. 


All truth contains an element of paradox. ‘The 
answer to most questions is yes and no. ‘This means 
simply that we can never escape the responsibility for 
using our own judgment. ‘The element of common sense 
is a part of religion as of everything else worth while. 

As a chain about the neck, or a dead hand laid upon 
life, the past must be denied and repudiated. 

As a source of experience wider than our own personal 
experience, and as a well of wisdom it deserves careful 
consideration. 

The future is never totally determined by the past: 
otherwise there could be no such thing as history. 

But we must see to it that we do not become the 
prisoners of history. Rather must we be trained by a 
just contemplation of the past to deal with the issues of 
our own day. 

The influence of the past is neither good nor bad in 
itself, except as we make it bad through our failure 
rightly to appraise its lessons. 

No one but an ignoramus would boneder himself 
capable of living a just life without regard to the past. 
No one but a fool would try to live worthily today with 
his eyes turned always backward. 


If 


PROFITEERS 
I pray you, let us leave off this usury —Nehemiah 5: 10. 


In every time of war, or of national peril and distress, 
there are people who make great gain out of the misfor- 
tune of others. ‘These are called “‘ profiteers.” They 
are sometimes worshipped for their wealth. But they 
should be despised for their greed, and damned for their 
inhumanity. 

Nehemiah had people like this around him. ‘They 
held mortgages on their less fortunate neighbours which 
threw them into starvation or slavery. It was on behalf 
of these unfortunates that he made his beautiful and 
strong appeal. 

Sentiment, of course! But it was also good business 
sense. For unless these debtors could be restored, their 
creditors could not hope for safety and prosperity. 

Certainly this has a bearing upon the money debts of 
the Allied Nations to the United States. But I am not 
writing about international politics——only about per- 
sonal religion. 

Therefore I ask you to read again from the gospel of 
Matthew 18: 21-35. The law of supply and demand 
is cogent, But the Gospel of Christ is more important. 


12 


INADEQUATE KNOWLEDGE OF GOD 


If ye call on him as Father, who without respect of 
persons judgeth according to each man’s work, pass the 
time of your sojourning in fear: knowing that ye were 
redeemed, not with corruptible things... but with 
. . . the blood of Christ—I Peter 1: 17-19. 


There are many people today whose conception of God 
is failing them because it is a cheap and superficial thing, 
lacking in depth and quality. “They have been going 
along in the easy attitude of the careless young man who 
says to himself: “ O well, if I get into trouble the old 
man will pull me out.” 

When trouble comes the prayer of such people to 
escape the consequences of their careless and sometimes 
evil conduct does not at all match with the purpose of 
God. ‘Then they are surprised, even aggrieved and re- 
bellious, and declare their unbelief. 

And all the time the difficulty is that they have cher- 
ished an inadequate and petty conception of God. 

I am not interested to try to apportion the blame for 
this tragic situation in which many find themselves. Un- 
doubtedly the preachers are too much engaged with 
*“‘ popular topics.” And equally truly are many Church 
members avoiding serious consideration of the nature of 
God and the consequent duties of man. 

It is well that we should realize Jesus’ emphasis on the 
name of Father as revealing the nature of God. But it 
is assuredly not well that we should abuse that name by 
reducing it to its shoddy popular proportions. 

We must turn from our stupid and unreal theories of 
an easy-going, good-natured God to the Living God in 
nature, in history and in the heart of man. 


13 


PROFESSIONAL JEALOUSY 


There ran a young man, and told Moses, and said, 
Eldad and Medad do prophesy in the camp. And 
Joshua... said, My lord Moses, forbid them.—Num- 
bers 11: 27-28. 


There you have an illustration of one of the meanest 
things in human nature—professional jealousy. It was 
not said that Eldad and Medad were prophesying 
falsely. No accusation was made against them except 
that they were prophesying in the camp without having 
been present at the door of the tabernacle with the others 
when they experienced the presence of the Spirit. Joshua 
considered this an irregularity and asked Moses to forbid 
their activity. 

But the rugged and honest Moses declined to take 
such a petty action and expressed the pious hope: 
“Would that all Jehovah’s people were prophets, that 
Jehovah would put his Spirit upon them! ” 

It is a well-merited rebuke to a jealous proposal, and 
a noble utterance of faith in God’s use of men. 

Would it not be a salutary lesson for us all if we laid 
to heart the truth that the right to speak on God’s behalf 
is a gift bestowed not by men but by God Himself? 

There may be standardized ways of discovering the 
qualifications of men for the performance of any particu- 
lar function. But these standardized ways ought not to 
blind us to the fact that God is not limited to the ways 
that commend themselves to us. 


14 


PARTIAL KNOWLEDGE ENOUGH FOR 
THE PRESENT 


Now I know in part; but then shall I know fully.— 
I Corinthians 13: 12. 


Long ago I heard President James McCosh preach 
from this text in the Princeton Chapel. 

* Religion is full of questions that we cannot answer,” 
said he, “‘ because we only know in part,’’—a long pause, 
then with thrilling emphasis,—‘‘ but we know!” 

There are things of which we may be positively cer- 
tain though we cannot comprehend all their connections 
and relations. We know that our souls exist as truly as 
our bodies. We know that there is a God, who is not 
blind force, but a spirit who answers the souls who seek 
Him in spirit and in truth. We know that good brings 
peace and joy, evil brings discord and death to the soul. 
We know that Jesus Christ is absolutely good, the per- 
fect union of the Divine and the Human spirits. We 
know through Him that love is the source of power, and 
that life continues after death. 

Beyond our ken lie the mysteries unexplored. But we 
have light enough to steer by, if we will. We know as 
much as we need. If we live by it we shall know more, 
some day. 


15 


THE REDISCOVERY OF THE INDIVIDUAL 


“ Are not five sparrows sold for two pence? and not 
one of them is forgotten in the sight of God ... ye are 
of more value than many sparrows.—Luke 12: 6-7. 


Every significant moment in human history is marked 
by a fresh discovery of the worth of the individual. ‘To- 
day there are many signs pointing in that direction. 
‘Thoughtful men are turning in disgust from the palpable 
failure of endeavours to deal with men as indifferent and 
indistinguishable units of a human mass. Mechanistic 
theories of human life are being rejected, not so much 
because they are argued down in university class-rooms, 
but because they are found to be totally inadequate as 
explanations of human activity throughout the world. 

Many public institutions for the care of dependents 
and incompetents are trying to deal with people as indi- 
viduals rather than as cases. Homes (with a capital H) 
for orphans are being transformed as rapidly as possible 
from barracks with uniform regulations, and wherever 
opportunity affords children are being sent to a home 
(with a small h) and the things that go with it. 

Everything from hospital to prison is affected by the 
rediscovery of the individual. 

Ought we not to rejoice in this sign of our times? 
For it means a new realization of the eternal truth that 
Jesus taught: The absolute worth of the individual soul 
before God in this world as well as in the life beyond. 


16 


CONFERENCES OR WORK 


I am doing a great work, so that I cannot come. 
down.—Nehemiah 6: 3. 


Sanballat was a crafty foe. Four times he sent mes- 
sengers to Nehemiah begging him to come down for a 
conference in the plain of Ono. But each time the an- 
swer of Nehemiah, building the wall, was the same: 
*‘ Busy, sorry, can’t come.” 

I think Nehemiah was right. ‘The work committed 
to the hand of each man is for him the most important 
thing,—the will of God, concrete. 

No doubt, conferences have done great good in the 
world. ‘They have made strangers acquainted. ‘They 
have promoted friendships. 

But it seems to me, just now, that we have too many 
of them. Philanthropic joy-rides, paid. for by the 
Church or the Government, cost more than they come 
to. ‘Too many conferences! 

I think the best thing that Christians can do just now 
is to stick to the job that lies nearest to them. Maybe 
the teaching of a class in Sunday-school, maybe the 
Christianizing of a church, maybe the humanizing of an 
industry. Maybe the making of a true home. 

Great work! Greater than a conference. Work on 


the walls! 


17 


THE CULT OF IGNORANCE 


His watchmen are blind, they are all without knowl- 
edge; they are all dumb dogs, they cannot bark; dream- 
ing, lying down, loving to slumber.—Isaiah 56: 10. 


It is a curious but none the less evident sign of our 
times that many people cultivate ignorance. Despite the 
crowds of youth storming the doors of our schools and 
colleges, yes, sometimes even within the Halls of Learn- 
ing, there is a considerable number of people who despise 
knowledge. It is fashionable nowadays to have a college 
degree, but a thoroughly trained mind is far from being 
the uniform purpose in winning that degree. 

Some one has said: “‘ A crank is an expert on a subject 
in which you are not interested,”’—and to this may be 
added the popular conclusion: Of course, nobody wants 
to be a crank! 

At bottom this attitude is a justification for idle 
dreaming. We need to remember the profound wisdom 
of the old dominie’s advice to Ramsay MacDonald: 
“You master: that is education. When you have mas- 
tered one thing you are well on your way to mastering 
all things.” 

The ideal of a “ well-rounded man” may have its 
good points. But let it not become the degenerate ideal 
that a smattering of information on many subjects con- 
stitutes an educated man. ‘To qualify as a man of the 
world will never satisfy the soul. Somewhere the soul 
must come to grips with reality in its naked strength. 
Any education which does not lead to that is only the 
cult of ignorance. 


18 


PERILOUS EASE 
Woe to them that are at ease in Zion—Amos 6: I. 


All of us realize the peril of luxury and ease in the 
abstract. But most of us think that the particular lux- 
uries which are within our reach are harmless—at least 
for ourselves. 

Life is crowded with examples of brilliant careers 
wrecked by the degenerations of ease, great opportunities 
ungrasped because of a grip softened by luxury, and gen- 
eral social deterioration arising out of sybaritic manners 
and customs. 

And yet a very considerable number of people are 
quite unable to act otherwise than as if comfort were 
the first objective of their lives, 

Disastrous as this attitude is in the general terms of 
human life, it is far worse because more far-reaching in 
the particular realm of the spirit. 

What could be more perilous than a soporific religion ? 
What more corrupting than a “ religious” attitude that 
induces self-complacency? 

To be at ease in Zion is truly the most perfect of 
paradoxes. It is the divorce of religion and morals and 
the herald of the death of the soul. 

Peace and Assurance,—yes, these are religious words. 
But Ease is paganism unashamed even when it seeks the 
odour of sanctity in Zion. 

Did not Jesus invite us: ‘‘ Come unto me all ye that 
labour and are heavy laden and I will give you rest. 
Take my yoke upon you and learn of me... and ye 
shall find rest unto your souls’? 

That yoke is easy; but not on the necks of those who 
are at ease in Zion. 


19 


IDLERS AND LOAFERS 


Come ye yourselves apart into a desert place, and rest 


a while—Mark 6: 31. 


We feel instinctively that there is an essential differ- 
ence between the word “ idler” and the word “‘ loafer.” 
The first describes one who for the moment is not en- 
gaged in work. ‘The second describes one who makes it 
a point never to do any work if he can possibly get out 
of it. 

‘To be idle sometimes is the part of wisdom. It is the 
needful rest and relaxation which Christ invited His dis- 
ciples to share with Him when they were overstrained 
and worn out with labour. The best way to enjoy it is 
to get away from the crowd into some quiet place where 
the heart can be still with God in the open air. It is 
most sweet when it is shared by true friends. 

Such idleness may be very fruitful. It reaps 


“The harvest of a quiet eye 
‘That broods and sleeps on His own heart.” 


But the Joafer is a person unprofitable to himself as 
well as to others. He is a parasite, a thief of time, a 
cumberer of the ground. If he will not work, neither 
let him eat. Then he will soon pass away,—unless he 
happens to inherit a fortune. 


20 


THE CONTROL OF IDEAS 


The kingdom of heaven is like unto leaven— 
Matthew 13: 33. 

Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Saddu- 
cees—Matthew 16:6. 


There is no more powerful thing in the world than 
an idea. It never rests. Once planted in a mind it 
reaches out continually trying to pervade all minds one 
after the other. Like leaven in dough, it is in a constant 
state of fermentation. 

And this is true not only of good ideas but of bad 
ones. For human nature is not naturally discriminating. 
Most men treat their minds as small children do their 
mouths—as a receptacle for anything that comes along. 

And yet the only assurance that men will be nourished 
on spiritual ideas lies in their ability to discriminate be- 
tween the good and bad leaven and to choose accordingly. 
No law can be made to require the choice of the good 
leaven. No one can legislate against the fact that the 
same natural law of progression applies to good and 
evil ideas. 

No. evil idea has ever been legislated out of existence. 
Evil ideas have died of starvation and neglect, but never 
from being labelled illegal. 

Each person must be taught how to discriminate be- 
tween good and evil ideas, and how to present to one an 
open welcome and to the other a locked and sealed door. 

For the only governance to which ideas are subject is 
the control of individual persons. 


21 


SCIENCE AND RELIGION 


Lo, these are but the outskirts of his ways: 
And how small a whisper do we hear of him. 


—Job 26: 14. 


‘There is no antagonism between science and religion. 
They are only two different ways of studying God. Re- 
ligion proceeds within the spiritual experience of man, 
science within the ascertained facts of nature. Both are 
indispensable. 

But frankly I must confess that the methods of the 
servants of science, at present, are superior to the 
methods of the servants of religion. 

Here are half-a-dozen religious conferences, assem- 
blies, conventions, and so on. ‘They content themselves 
with passing vague, arrogant resolutions about the out- 
lawry of war, prohibition, censorship of books and plays, 
without a single definite and practical suggestion. 

Here is a conference of doctors and surgeons who are 
seeking to exterminate cancer. “They look for the germ 
of the disease. “They seek patiently and eagerly for an 
antidote. “They are hopeful but not arrogant. 

Would to God that His servants in religion could be 
as wise, practical, and humble as His servants in science! 

When we seek to know His ways in creation and 
providence, is not every natural fact a sacred thing, a 
word from Him? 

When we try to do His will, shall we not listen and 
wait patiently for every whisper and hint that may help 
us to serve Him more efficiently ? | 

Vague Omniscience does not become churchmen. 
Humility and Courage are better. 


22 


LEGISLATION IN THE HEART 


I will put my law in their inward parts, and in their 
heart will I write it.—Jeremiah 31: 33. 


It is commonly (and it seems to me justifiably) said 
of Americans today that they think they can legislate the 
coming of the millennium. Certainly one of the first 
remarks you hear when men discuss any particular evil 
is: There ought to be a law about that. 

But what good is a law written on the books until it 
becomes also written in the people’s hearts? Law as an 
external force may be serviceable to reduce a recalcitrant 
minority to conformity. But nothing is surer than the 
futility of legislation contrary to the public conscience. 
Witness the fugitive slave law in Civil War days. 

Precisely so is it in ecclesiastical affairs. ‘To endeavor 
to lead men by means of an external law which cannot 
be transcribed on the heart is utter folly. To attempt 
to enforce conformity in ritual or theology apart from 
the heart’s response is intolerable tyranny. 

Despite the furious activity of ecclesiastical politicians 
in the Church and would-be dominant groups in the 
republic, the honest man in Church and State will always 
be more interested in unity than in conformity, and will 
recognize that the foundation stone of legislation is 
education. 

Neither in family, church nor state can you legislate 
the millennium. ‘That is why religion will always be 
the most important thing in the world. It writes its 
laws in the heart. 


23 


IMPATIENT IDEALISTS 
There shall be the seed of peace.-—Zechariah 8: 12. 


Some people have no patience to consider ways and 
means. “They want what they call “ results,” and they 
want them immediately. ‘They call themselves idealists 
largely because they will have nothing to do with any- 
thing except perfection. 

We find them railing at the Church because the 
Church is still a faulty and inadequate institution. We 
find them denouncing the government because that, too, 
has its weaknesses. We find them criticizing the frailties 
of human nature with bitter language. 

But how seldom do we find them labouring to amelior- 

te the conditions they decry. O no, what they want is 

reform by a single sweeping gesture—everything or 

nothing. ‘They are like a man who, finding himself in 
‘/. New York and desiring to be in Pittsburgh, refuses to 

take the train because his desire is not to spend time on 
| the train but to be in Pittsburgh. 

Lots of people show that frame of mind toward world 
peace. “They have no patience for the slow cultivation 
of the seed of peace. They want world peace through 
the waving of a formula like a magic wand. Instead of 
observing the enormous advance towards peace in the 
past five years they dejectedly announce that everything 
has failed because forsooth peace is not yet universally 
established. 

But peace, like other valuable things, is not obtained 
all at once. It grows from the seed to the fruit by the 
process of patient cultivation. Very few things (outside 
of fables) leap forth full-formed from the beginning. 

What we need from our idealists is less pessimistic 
denunciation and more patient labour. 


24 


THE ABUSE OF IMAGINATION 
The eye is not satisfied with seeing.—Ecclesiastes 1: 8. 


The power of imagination is a great force in the dis- 
covery of truth. But, like all qualities of human nature, 
it must be reasonably employed. Imagination should in- 
vade the realm of physical facts, but it must not be 
allowed to set itself up on a parity with established facts. 

Some of the bitterest controversies arise from the fail- 
ure to observe a simple distinction: We confuse the out- 
reaching of imagination with plain facts, and quarrel 
- ferociously where we ought to inquire diligently. 

It is so easy to imagine that we have found what we 
want or expect to find. 

The man lost in the desert always sees water—just 
over there. 

You and I are always finding justification for our 
prejudices—not from the facts in the case, but from 
imagination. 

Once allow yourself to hate a man and see how speed- 
ily you can amass evidence to justify your hate. 

As we struggled to the foot of the great wood and 
iron cross that tops the snowy summit of the Gross 
Glockner in the Tyrolean Alps I turned to our guide 
with a question: “Can we see the Adriatic Sea from 
here? ” 

He smiled as at a familiar question and replied: 
“Well, many tourists have seen it—but no guides.” 

Indeed the eye is not satisfied with seeing. Often it 
insists on seeing what is not visible. 


is 
Lo 


25 


LUCK 


Ye that ... prepare a table for Fortune, and that 
fill up mingled wine unto Destiny; I will destine you to 
the sword, and ye shall all bow down to the slaughter.— 
Isaiah 65: 11-12. 


Men are much inclined to talk about bad luck as a 
leading element in accounting for their failures. And in 
talking about the successes of other men they often have 
much to say about good luck. For the most part these 
terms are only subterfuges for maintaining the talkers’ 
self-respect. And they are just as much illusions as the 
gambler’s projection of the divinity of Fortune to lend 
tone to his inordinate greed for excitement and money. 

When all is said and done this is just paganism in 
civilized garb:—the making of gods by the personifica- 
tion of human qualities. It is perhaps as good a way as 
any to justify our weakness and depreciate the strength 
of other men. But it’s a coward’s game at best, and 
ought to be left alone by all honest men. 

If a man exercises foresight and develops the strength 
and courage to include various contingencies in the scope 
of his plans, he puts luck in its proper place as the minor 
uncertainty that lends savour to life. Luck is too much 
dependent on men to be a god. 

Nansen once said of Amundsen’s discovery of the 
South Pole: “ Let no one come and prate about luck and 
chance, Amundsen’s luck is that of the strong man who 
looks ahead.” 


26 


PROPHETS VERSUS OFFICIALS 


A prophet is not without honour save in his own 
country.—Matthew 13:57. 


This is one of the sayings in which the keen irony of 
Jesus of Nazareth is shown. If He had been a high 
official, a rabbi, or a ruler, no doubt His fellow- 
townsmen would have listened to Him respectfully and 
treasured His words. But because He was only a la- 
bourer and a prophet, speaking for God with no other 
authority than the splendid verity of what He said, His 
neighbours despised Him. “They knew the humble con- 
ditions of His life and family. They had seen Him 
working in the carpenter shop. Impossible that such a 
person should be great! Absurd to do Him honour! 
Measured by their parochial standard Jesus was one of 
the least important citizens of Nazareth. 

But measured by the larger standard of world-vision, 
and spiritual wisdom, and power upon the soul of man, 
Jesus was the greatest teacher and leader ever seen on 
earth. 

This is the distinction between prophets and officials. 
Dressed in a little brief authority, officials feast on hon- 
ours in the place where they dwell. Men bow down to 
them and praise them and give them reverence for their 
titles. But prophets must not look for this kind of two- 
penny reward. ‘Their honour does not depend on local 
rank, It is the silent tribute of the world to the truth 
and beauty of their teaching. 


27 


THE “ FULNESS ” WORDS 


He that showeth mercy with cheerfulness——Romans 
1225, 


I like those words which end with “ fulness.” 

Of course some of them are bad, like hatefulness, and 
deceitfulness, and harmfulness. 

But how many more of them are good! Hopefulness, 
and joyfulness, and thoughtfulness, and mercifulness, 
and above all faithfulness. 

What is the reason for this liking? Perhaps it is be- 
cause these words have something inward about them. 
They describe a quality which fills the heart and over- 
flows naturally into the life. 

They are not words of mere obedience to outward 
law. ‘They are words of spontaneous goodness coming 
from the voluntary union of the soul with that which 
is best. 

‘They seem to me like springs and fountains ever flow- 
ing from a secret source. 

‘They remind me of that glorious saying of Christ: 
“I came that they may have life, and may have it 
abundantly.” 

Modern religion is much concerned with plumbing. 
But Christ cares for the water supply. 


28 


LOST 


Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we shall die.— 
Isaiali 322/373} 


What would you think of a man who, finding himself 
lost in the woods, said: ‘‘ Well, now that I’m lost I may 
as well get as much pleasure out of it as I can,” 
began to wander aimlessly around picking flowers and 
hunting for birds’ nests? 

What would you think of the captain of a vessel who, 
being driven out of his course in a storm and unable to 
take observations, came down from the bridge, and said 
to crew and passengers: “‘ We’re lost, so we'll just sail 
around and amuse ourselves and try to forget our 
troubles ”’? 

Of course you would say that both these men were 
crazy. No matter if they were lost, their duty was to 
set a sharp look-out to discover their position and in the 
meantime to keep cool and use their best judgment to 
recover the lost way. In the woods or at sea we cannot 
imagine such foolish and cowardly actions except from 
a man out of his head. 

And yet in the issues of life such conduct is not un- 
common. Men get into a fog of doubt or a thicket of 
confusing opinions, throw up their hands in despair, and 
say, “ let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we shall die.” 

The pursuit of fleeting pleasures and distracting 
amusements is the counsel of despair that leads to death. 


29 


and ~ 


THE POWER OF A LIFE PURPOSE 


I hold not my life of any account as dear unto myself, 
so that I may accomplish my course.—Acts 20:24. . 


When you look at life as an observer the things that 
happen to you seem of tremendous importance. When 
you look at life as an actor they seem insignificant. 

Paul could look at the certainty of bonds and afflic- 
tions and say, ‘‘ None of these things move me,”’ because 
he was totally preoccupied with the honourable comple- 
tion of his ministry. He could even speak of finishing 
his course with joy. Why? Because invincible to all 
things that might affect him was his spiritual delight in 
carrying through to its conclusion the commission he had 
received from God. 

A purposeless life is always an unhappy one, no mat- 
ter how easy its outward circumstances. A life directed 
to its goal has always happiness in it. For when all is 
said and done, “‘ happiness consists not so much in the 
absence of pain as in the presence of joy.” 

Too often we dread “ what may happen to us,” and — 
conduct our lives on the basis of avoiding all danger or 
even discomfort. 

How much better for ourselves as well as more ser- 
viceable to a needy world if we should heed the call of 
God and trust in the joy of spiritual purpose to overcome 
the pain of outward events. 

Is it not proverbial that it is always the innocent by- 
stander that gets hurt? 


30 


SILLY LAUGHTER 


As the crackling of thorns under a pot, so is the 
laughter of the fool.—Ecclesiastes 7: 6. 


I do not mean the jolly “ ha-ha” that follows a prac- 
tical joke or a farcical comedy, nor even those youthful 
outbursts of laughter that are so common among boys 
and girls when there is really nothing to laugh at. 
These are good physical exercise. ‘They signify little, 
but they promote digestion. 

What I mean is the cheap and senseless ridicule of 
serious things by people who cannot understand them. 
Every ideal, every forward movement in the world, has 
been greeted with this ridicule. 

The Athenians on the Areopagus heard St. Paul with 
a polite grin. But Christianity survives, while Athens is 
a back number, or worse. 

Laughter is a powerful weapon. 

But it is not an argument. 

That is because fools like to laugh more than they 
like to think. 

The thorns crackle under the pot. But if you want 
to get your dinner, you must look for better wood. 


31 


TOO LATE 
The door was shut—Matthew 25: 10. 


What a hopeless sound this phrase has! 

One can almost hear the rasping bolts, and then the 
hurrying feet and the despairing cry of those who were 
too late to enter. “The foolish virgins of Christ’s parable 
were facing the fact that there is a point in life at which 
no excuses will avail. 

The door is shut. There is absolutely nothing to be 
done about it. All action should have been taken before- 
hand. Now it is too late. 

But the important thing to remember is that the ar- 
rival at the inexorable point of hopelessness is always 
the culmination of what has gone before; and that this 
desperate plight is avoidable if we are continually ready. 

Many of us are going to do great things—tomorrow. 
But tomorrow never comes. For the only day we have 
is today. And this corrupting habit of running behind 
schedule—even in small things—has for its inevitable | 
result the bringing of us face to face with a shut door. 

‘The demand that life makes on all of us is to be ready 
at all times, to live neither in the past nor in the future 
but in the present. 

Until we learn that lesson we cannot escape the cer- 
tain consequence that we shall one day stand, sorrowful 
but too late, before the one door through which we desire 
to enter but cannot—because it is shut, 


32 


THE LOVE OF ENEMIES 


Ye have heard that it was said, Thou shalt love thy 
neighbour, and hate thine enemy: but I say unto you, 
Love your enemies.—Matthew 5: 43-44. 


I would not lead you to think that I have anything 
new to say on this most difficult injunction of the Chris- 
tian religion. But I would like to remind myself with 
you that we have no right to turn away from it and 
decline even to think seriously about it. 

There must be some way of obeying it, or else we are 
in the position of people tantalized by an impossible com- 
mand given by a Master whose one desire is our eternal 
welfare. “The thing is preposterous. It is too diabolical. 

What, then, hinders us? 

First, the long-cherished and entrenched delusion that 
it is impossible,—with the consequent cessation of effort. 
We forget the centuries of failure that precede success 
in any field of achievement. How long have men been 
trying to fly? And with what speed has the triumph 
advanced under the concentration of effort and the draw- 
ing together of divergent inventions on the basis of the 
formulation of a few simple laws! 

May it not be just so with the love of enemies? ‘The 
intelligent application of continuous effort is almost an 
irresistible force. When it is lined up with the will of 
God it is omnipotent. 

O, of course, we may fail. But is there any sober 
reason for not trying? ‘Think of it! You might be a 
discoverer in this wilderness almost untouched by human 
effort, 


33 


ON MAKING ENEMIES 


Know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity 
with God?—James 4: 4. 


Lots of people think that the best way to fulfil that 
most difficult of all Christian teachings: ‘‘ Love your 
enemies,” is to avoid making any enemies. And so they 
go about cautiously dodging all clashes, compromising 
and trimming and making concessions even on matters 
of principle. 

It is of course evident that the peaceable and gentle 
spirit is an important element in Christian character. 
But it is by no means true that the best Christian is he 
who has the fewest enemies. Indeed, a man will never 
do anything valuable in this world without making ene- 
mies. And the counsel of Jesus is not to avoid making 
enemies but to love even those who are become our ene- 
mies,—which is quite a different affair. 

When we stop to think about it, a man’s enemies are 
quite as indicative of his character as his friends are. 
‘The only makers of enemies who are worthy of condem- 
nation are those who alienate all men, or who insist on 
maintaining enmity when its cause is past. 

Jesus Himself began by making friends, but He 
never hesitated to incur the hostility of those who op- 
posed the work God sent Him to do. And all His great 
disciples ever since have followed that course, 


34 


SPIRITUAL HEREDITY 


Know therefore that they that are of faith, the same 
are sons of Abraham.—Galatians 3: 7. 


A man’s descent from honourable ancestors is not a 
proper subject for personal boasting,—even though it is 
often so regarded. Whatever glory there may be belongs 
to the ancestors, not the descendant. Let the descendant 
rather put his attention on seeing that the line is con- 
tinued unimpaired. 

But alongside of this natural heredity in which a man 
has no choice as regards himself, there is the line of spiri- 
tual heredity in which he may have the leading choice. 

With whom is he to be related in the realm of mind 
and spirit? 

Keats, born in his grandfather’s posting-house, chose 
affinity with the Greek poets and Shakespeare rather 
than with grooms and hostlers, or even that with doctors 
and surgeons which was first offered him in his proposed 
career, 

As I write this I think of the little fishing village on 
an outlying sea-island where we have just spent several 
days. In those humble and hospitable homes familiar 
with tragedy and loneliness we found gentleness and 
courtesy, good books and noble thinking. And the peo- 
ple of whom they chiefly spoke were their spiritual an- 
cestors,—a few beloved authors and occasional visitors 
who touched and. stirred their spirits. One could be 
more at home there than in many a fine house where the 
master’s famous forebears provide the chief topic of polite 
but wearisome conversation. i 

The sons of Abraham who are entitled to rejoice in 
their ancestor are those who, by living in faith, have 
chosen him for their spiritual father. 


oD 


HELPFULNESS BEYOND THEORIES 
A cup of cold water—Matthew 10: 42. 


One of the most lovely of human qualities is plain and 
unadorned helpfulness. It is not common enough to pass 
unnoticed. Among the worldly wise it is notoriously 
lacking. 

Even those of us who call ourselves disciples of Christ 
too often allow our theories to inhibit practical helpful- 
ness. Instead of fixing our eye on the human need and 
getting into action to meet that need we launch off on 
our general theories and neglect the concrete instance. 

How many human obligations remain unpaid, how 
many opportunities for service ungrasped, just because 
of this foolish habit of our uncontrolled minds. 

Of course no sane man thinks that life can be reduced 
to the spurious simplicity of helpfulness. Hard, con- 
sistent thinking is always necessary. But what I want 
to know is: Why should we allow our theorizing to 
cripple our activities? 

Why should college graduates so often be expert in 
the dialectics of philosophic doubt, and sometimes so 
lethargic in performing particular service? 

It is important for the human mind to work out the 
theories of life. But what does the thought that ham- 
strings effort amount to? 

While you are theorizing about population and water 
supply and the nature of man perhaps you are neglecting 
a request for a cup of cold water. 

By all means think. But why neglect to act? For 
that, too, is life. 


36 


MY GOSPEL 


According to my gospel.—Romans 2: 16. 


When St. Paul speaks of “ my gospel” he does not 
mean that he has invented it, or that he owns it, or that 
he has a right to limit or define it. 

On the contrary, he means that it has found him, that 
he belongs to it, that it is a living force within him, in- 
spiring and guiding him in all his work.and preaching. 

What is it then, this gospel, this good news which took 
possession of Paul’s soul and sent him out to preach it 
to Jews and Gentiles? 

It is the conviction that Jesus of Nazareth is the Son 
of God, the revealer of our Father in Heaven. It is the 
assurance that His death on the cross is the atoning sacri- 
fice for the sin of the world, and that through faith in it 
the vilest sinner may find forgiveness. It is the promise 
that Christ’s spirit of love will enable those who trust 
Him to overcome all enemies,—even the last enemy, 
which is death. 

This is Paul’s gospel. Happy are we if it is ours. 


37 


UNCONTROLLED HASTE 


His nurse took him up, and fled; and it came to pass, 
as she made haste to flee, that he fell, and became lame.— 
II Samuel 4: 4. 


It was a tragic thing that happened to little five-year- 
old Mephibosheth when the news of the death of Jona- 
than his father came to the royal palaces. His nurse 
caught him up to carry him to safety and escape the in- 
evitable revolution, but she dropped him; and ever after 
he was lame. 

The accident was due to haste, and not to wilful 
neglect. “The woman’s purpose was good, but she exe- 
cuted it poorly because she was panic-stricken. 

Here is one of a long list of tragic accidents due to 
uncontrolled haste. Nothing is ever gained by trying to 
do anything when you are off balance. Unless you are 
able to keep yourself under perfect control in time of 
crisis, you become a peril not only to yourself but to 
others. 

This truth needs especially to be remembered in this 
day of fast transportation. Every day the newspapers 
contain accounts of accidents due to speed beyond con- 
trol. Most of those responsible for the accidents are full 
of remorse afterwards. But what good is that to the 
victims ? 

Surely there are enough unavoidable accidents to jus- 
tify us in reducing the unnecessary ones by observing 
every reasonable precaution. 

The place to begin is by controlling yourself. 


SALUTARY HARSHNESS 


The rod and reproof give wisdom; 
But a child left to himself causeth shame to his mother. 
—Proverbs 29:15. 


Spoiled children are bad enough in themselves, but 
when they are grown up they are intolerable. And I 
will leave it to any careful observer of human nature to 
say whether, or not, we are overstocked with spoiled 
children (young and old) today. 

This idea of allowing all men to choose their own 
way, “ to make their bed and lie in it,” has a fine sound 
of liberality about it; but when it degenerates into mere 
indifference and irresponsibility on our part toward 
others—especially those who must look to us for guid- 
ance—it is just plain bunk. 

Is there no such thing as the social inheritance of 
ideals? By what insane reasoning do we conclude that 
all tradition is evil? Is each individual limited for his 
education to his own personal experiments? 

Is it fair,—especially is it fair to children, to launch 
them in such a world as this without discipline, without 
warning? Is it really kindness to let any one grow up, 
apart from the experience of punishment, in the delusion 
that the world centres about him? Why do we shake 
our heads over our friends when their backs are turned? 

Why not be strictly honest and fearlessly kind, and say 
and do what we know is needful ? 


39 


THORNS IN THE FLESH 


There was given to me a thorn in the flesh, a mes- 
senger of Satan to buffet me.—II Corinthians 12: 7. 


What was this “‘ thorn” to which the Apostle Paul 
alludes so feelingly, not only in this letter to the Co- 
rinthians but also in his letter to the Galatians? 

Nobody knows, but a great many writers have made 
guesses about it. Some say that it was the general frailty 
and insignificance of his “‘ bodily presence ”’; others guess 
(a wild guess, this) that it was a nagging wife like the 
consort who tormented Job; others conjecture that it 
was what the modern psychoanalysts call an inferiority 
complex. But the sensible commentators incline to the 
view that it was either an epileptic tendency or a form 
of eye-disease common in the East. Perhaps it was both. 
What difference does it make? 

_ The point is that Paul did not describe his thorn and 

dwell upon its nature and details. ‘Three times, he says, 
he prayed to be delivered from it, but it stayed. So he 
carried it, and went on with his work, vigorously, cheer- 
fully, triumphantly to the end. A good example! 

Let us not make much of our “thorns,” lest they 
afflict our friends. Let us rather think of our “ roses,” 
and give thanks for them. ‘This is the “ power that is 
made perfect in weakness.” 


40 


HALF-TRUTHS 


It is the glory of God to conceal a thing.—Proverbs 
25:2. 

Blessed be the name of God for ever and ever—he 
revealeth the deep and secret things.—Daniel 2: 20, 22. 


Most important truths are half-truths ;—which is only 
another way of saying that life is more than mind. 

Both of these declarations about God are true. ‘The 
apparent contradiction in their conclusions is due, not to 
their inaccuracy, but to the inherent absolutism of our 
minds. 

Was it not Ruskin who said that he never felt that he 
had fully expressed himself on any subject until he had 
contradicted himself at least three times? 

Somewhere (I can’t recall where) I have lately come 
across the idea, in speech or writing, that truth is not so 
much an object to be encased in words as a target at 
which we aim our words with varying degrees of success. 

If that be taken, not as an excuse for the careless use 
of language, but as an explanation of the limitations of 
words, I should say that it was a very valuable idea. 

In particular, when we deal with statements about 
God we ought to recognize the absolute inadequacy of 
any declaration when considered in entire isolation. Any 
description of God must necessarily be but a partial 
truth. Unless, indeed, we desire to maintain the irre- 
ligious view that God is the creation of our own minds. 


41 


PRESENT BLESSINGS 


Now are we children of God, and it is not yet made 
manifest what we shall be.—I John 3:2. 


‘That is a good verse to read, because the writer of it 
is not only looking ahead with hope, but is appreciative 
of the blessings of his immediate situation. 

It is a good frame of mind, but alas! a rare one. 

‘The common attitude of our day—even among those 
who look to the future hopefully—is sharply critical, 
often sad or bitter as regards the present. Many of us 
have forgotten how to enjoy our daily blessings because 
we are obsessed with possible evil in the future, or more 
often because our attention is wholly focussed on certain 
secondary troubles of today. 

After all, it is something to be one of God’s children 
now, today, this very minute. Why not sometimes lay 
aside all the uncertainties with which man can only deal 
by faith, and spend a moment realizing the privilege you 
have in being a child of God? 

It will not do to take this as a matter of course. You 
cannot shuffle your way through life and still find it 
gracious and beautiful. 

The good Christian perceives glories unspeakable be- 
yond the present time. But he also rejoices greatly in 
the privilege of today. He is no despiser of the blessings 
of the passing moment. He asserts confidently and 
thankfully, “‘ Now are we children of God.” 


42 


HUMBLE VIRTUES 


In your faith supply virtue; and in your virtue knowl- 
edge.—lII Peter 1:5. 


It was said by Professor Brander Matthews concern- 
ing a certain famous French writer now dead, that he 
“understands everything—except perhaps those very 
commonplace virtues which sustain the social fabric.” 

There are lots of people like that—at least in their 
failure to understand the simple virtues. “They have 
allowed learning to outweigh human values. ‘They are 
so sophisticated that they cannot be their natural selves 
nor recognize humble virtues in others. 

And yet these very virtues which they disdain are the 
one guarantee which makes free social life possible. If 
men did not expect to be treated on the basis of the daily 
virtues there would be much less freedom than there is. 
Life within a prison must always lack some of the free- 
dom of the outside world, because of the absence of this 
expectation. 

It is very easy for brainy people to take a superior 
attitude toward humble virtues. But it is certainly im- 
possible for a free society to endure without them. 

Perhaps, therefore, it would be more honest (unless 
indeed we be in the terrible state of ridiculing even hon- 
esty) to acknowledge the place of the humble virtues in 
the social order, and, as a part of that Sea to exhibit 
them ourselves. 

Doubtless there is more ween in that than we 
usually recognize. 


43 


MEMORY AND FORGETTERY 


Remember all the way which Jehovah thy God hath 
led thee.-—Deuteronomy 8: 2. 
Thou shalt forget the shame of thy youth.—lIsaiah 


54:4. 


What to remember,—what to forget,—that is the 
question. 

It seems to me that the good things, the heavenly guid- 
ance, the help that other men have given us to keep the 
right path, are the things to remember. 

The mistakes, the false leads, the devilish influences, 
are the things to forget. 

Perhaps the people who misled you were sincere. 
Don’t condemn them. Forget their advice. 

Can we control our memory and our forgettery? 

Not absolutely, perhaps. But the psychologists tell us 
that the vividness of our memory depends on the stress 
of attention. ‘Therefére, says St. Paul, “if there be any 
virtue, if there be any praise, think on these things.” 

Attend more closely to that which is beautiful and 
excellent. Press it on your mind like a seal on wax. 
Rejoice in it. Do not be afraid to be glad. 

Joy is a great aid to memory. It is a vital principle 
of all true knowledge. If you know the truth it makes 
you free, and to be free is joyful. Deep inward happi- 
ness is the spirit of true remembrance. 

Joseph called the name of his first-born son Manasseh ; 
“for,” said he, ‘‘ God hath made me forget all my toil.” 


44 


EXPERIMENTS 


The way of a fool is right in his own eyes; 
But he that is wise hearkeneth unto counsel. 
—Proverbs 12:15. 


Even if we had the chance none of us would think of 
walking into a well-equipped chemical laboratory and 
starting off on experiments without any past training or 
present instructor. Not only the danger of such action, 
but its futility as a means of discovery and its crass dull- 
ness would hinder us from it. We wish to acquire at 
least a preliminary knowledge of what has already been 
done in this field in order to avoid peril and waste, and 
to obtain a good start for ourselves. 

We should do well to show as much good sense in 
other matters,—more especially where human growth 
and development are concerned. And yet many people 
are loth to observe this caution. ‘They enter the labora- 
tories of education, industry, philanthropy, government 
and religion, and launch experiments without having 
any personal qualifications therefor. Unfamiliar with 
what has been tried and rejected or tested and found 
good, they launch wild experiments, the consequences of 
which must usually be borne by others than themselves. 

Of course the trial method is the way of progress. 
Advance is always through the experimental fringe that 
temporarily marks the extent of knowledge. But the 
point is that these experiments ought to be made not by 
any Tom, Dick or Harry, but by those selected men 
who by patient labour have qualified themselves for 
knowing what they are doing. 


45 


UNSEEING EYES 


These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true 
witness . . . L counsel thee to buy of me... eyesalve 
to anoint thine eyes, that thou mayest see.—Revelation 
Pe TANTS: 


He rose from the table where he had been playing 
cards with some companions on a river steamer, yawned 
and nodded his head toward glittering expanses of turbu- 
lent waters and glorious rugged headlands shining in the — 
sunlight. ‘‘ You only have to take one look at that,” he 
said in a loud voice, “ to see it all,’’—and went back to 
his cards. ‘Throughout the day while the stupendous 
panorama unrolled before us his eyes were sealed. 

Pitiable, you say? Yes, but he is not very different 
from the rest of us with our blind spots. 

One man races through the land in a speedy car and 
sees little but the number plates on the cars he overtakes. 

Another man surrounded by a lovely garden or wood- 
land makes no effort to discover their secrets. Another 
living beside a great library of noble literature glances 
only at the printed sheet of the passing moment. An- 
other perhaps having made up his mind that certain 
people are of no account, forever fails to see in them 
anything worthy of his attention. 

Of course there are things which only the specially 
trained eye can either see or fully appreciate. But most 
of us possess many more blind spots than is at all 
necessary. 

Unseeing eyes are swift betrayers of an unsympathetic, 
self-centred heart. 


46 


FOREBEARS AND POSTERITY 


They are not all Israel, that are of Israel : neither, 
because they are Abraham’s seed, are they all children.— 
Romans 9: 6-7. 


It is a curious fact that many of the things in which 
men take the greatest personal pride are, as a matter of 
fact, outside their control. 

Take this affair of ancestors, for example. If there is 
one thing in the world for which we have no slightest 
responsibility, by way of praise or blame, it is for our 
parents. 

And yet men are continually bragging about certain 
selected persons among their forebears as if in some way 
the fame of those men could be bodily transferred to 
themselves. As if the achievements of a past generation 
reflected credit on the present generation apart from the 
present generation’s own activities. 

Put the boastful descendant of some old sea-dog of an 
admiral on a heaving deck, or even lay him tenderly in a 
deck-chair, and he is less inclined for conversation than 
at the afternoon reception on shore. 

Set the bragging descendant of the pioneer in the for- 
est, and the chances are that he’ll be walking circles and 
shouting for help instead of talking about himself in the 
person of his ancestor with that restrained ardour with 
which men speak of .themselves. 

Let the patriot who is so eloquent on the great issues 
of his famous ancestor’s day sit down before the issues 
of today with equal insight and patience. 

Perhaps then the coming generation may find some 
nearer incentive than our ancestors to encourage them 
to effort. 

For, as Booker IT. Washington has acutely observed: 
“It is easier to be a descendant than an ancestor.” 


47 


FEELINGS AND ACTION 


Then David and the people that were with him lifted 
up their voice and wept, until they had no more power 
to weep.—I Samuel 30: 4. 


No one can weep forever, no matter how terrible his 
grief. “The most impetuous of emotional outbursts must 
come to an end. 

With shallow persons, that is all there is to it. When 
the outburst of feeling is over, they straightway try to 
forget and go on in their same old ways. 

Not so with the man whose heart and hand move in 
conjunction. He turns from weeping to action. 

David turned from weeping at pillaged Ziklag to 
organize an expedition against the marauding Amale- 
kites. Huis weeping came to an end and promptly became 
a motive for action. 

Emotion must always be temporary. By its very na- 
ture its expression must be brief. Its one enduring 
power lies in its ability to be transformed into motive. 

The question was once asked of Dr. ‘Trudeau whether 
the feeling of pity was not destroyed by continued living 
with ill people. His response was: “ Pity as an emotion 
passes, but pity as a motive remains.” 

Much of the sense of futility in people’s lives comes 
from the failure to transmute their worthy emotions 
from temporary outbursts into lasting motives for life 
work, 

Until a man effects that transformation, he is only a 
helpless and hopeless sentimentalist—an inadequate bun- 
dle of feelings in a world that demands action. 


48 


INFALLIBILITY 


No doubt but ye are the people, 
And wisdom shall die with you. 
—Job 12:2. 


It is a strange thing how easily men assume the atti- 
tude of omniscience and speak with the accents of 
infallibility. 

And yet nothing is more absurd. We are all subject 
to error; and the more we strive to master any subject 
the more apparent this ought to become. 

And yet it often seems that we are more eager to 
speak with confidence than with humility. Sometimes it 
seems that dogmatism is dearer to our hearts than truth. 

Especially is this attitude characteristic of ignorant 
people, either those who, because of youth, have not yet 
had time to think widely, or those who, though old 
enough, have neglected their opportunities. 

The first mark of the really wise man is in knowing 
how limited the field of human knowledge is at best, and 
in measuring his words and using them with restraint. 

For there are few more ludicrous sights in this rather 
topsyturvy world than a man holding forth with su- 
preme assurance upon a theme which his hearers know 
to be a doubtful issue. “The situation is all the more 
absurd if it take place in the Professor’s chair or the 
Church pulpit. . 

There is a saying I often heard at Oxford: ‘‘ None 
of us is infallible—not even the youngest.” 


49 


VOLUNTEERS 


And the people blessed all the men that willingly 
offered themselves to dwell in Jerusalem.—Nehemiah 
PP. 


It was no easy thing to dwell in Jerusalem in those 
days. A ruined city, a hostile environment, a doubtful 
political protection from the king of Persia, plenty of 
hard work sure, short rations and daily perils,—these 
were the necessary conditions. Only one thing stood 
against them,—the free will to rebuild Zion. “The men 
who had this free will were blessed by the people. 

Volunteers are the aristocracy of Pioneers. 

Those who are pushed forward deserve less honour 
than those who willingly go forward. 

A drafted man who obeys cheerfully is worthy of 
respect. A volunteer deserves a blessing,—beyond a 
bonus. 

Enthusiasm, in the eighteenth century, was a word of 
discredit. Now, I think, we should call it a word of 
glory. 

Let us ask ourselves what are the causes for which we 
would be glad willingly to offer ourselves. Let us 
measure the worth and the strength of our enthusiasms. 

If we have none, that will show that we are afraid, or 
that we are no longer alive. 


50 


THE DISCIPLINE OF DEFEAT 


Take thy part in suffering hardship, as a good soldier 
of Christ Jesus —II ‘Timothy 2:3 (margin). 


We are accustomed to regard the great men of past 
days as easily successful. Ancient issues usually seem 
clear-cut, while those of our own day look confused and 
dark. 

George Washington and his career appear to us as a 
simple and glorious record of achievement. 

Even if we remember the pitiful retreat of the Conti- 
nental Army from Brooklyn Heights across the Hudson 
and the Delaware, or the bitter sufferings of Valley 
Forge, we forget the stern discipline of defeat through 
which George Washington passed in the earlier days of 
his service. 

To speak of but two noteworthy instances. 

On July 4, 1754, he found himself retreating in a 
rout from the disastrous expedition which he had led 
against Fort Duquesne. ‘‘ Perhaps,’ writes Francis 
Parkman, “ this miserable morning was the darkest of 
his life.”’ 

But Washington’s purpose was not broken. When he 
had led the remnant of his force to safety he took up 
again the thankless task of defending the Virginia bor- 
ders, and for several years suffered not only the hardships 
of campaign but the scandalous abuse heaped upon him 
by enemies among his own people. 

Yorktown was not the obvious outcome of inevitable 
events. It was chiefly the fruit of the steadfast char- 
acter of George Washington, who endured the anguish of 
Fort Necessity and the Virginia borders and the Conway 
Cabal and many other trials, and was prepared for vic- 
tory by the discipline of defeat, 


51 


TRANSFORMATION 
Your sorrow shall be turned into joy.—John 16: 20. 


Nothing is more marvellous in life than the way in 
which things are transformed, so that their very nature 
seems to be changed, although the things themselves 
remain. 

This transformation may work in either direction. A 
success may become a failure; a gift, a burden; a privi- 
lege, an embarrassment; a familiar friend, an intimate 
enemy (Psalm 41:9). 

Or, a disappointment may turn into a blessing; a 
load of care may uplift the spirit as with wings; a 
defeat may become the first step in a victory; a physical 
limitation may mean enlargement of mental vision; a 
deep grief may lead to a deeper gladness; an apparent 
enemy may turn out to be a real and loyal friend. 

It is this blessed kind of transformation that Jesus 
promises to His disciples. “The word .which He uses to 
describe it is very wonderful. It means to be created, 
to be born. . 

Your sorrow, says Christ, shall be reborn as joy. 
Evils may come upon you, but nothing can harm you, 
because you are the children of God. Your trials shall 
be reborn as victories; your doubts and fears, as stronger 
assurances of faith; your losses, as gains; your shadowy 
dread of Death, as the bright rapture of Immortality. 
You yourselves shall awake in my likeness, and where I 
am, there shall you be always. 


52 


THE YOUNGER GENERATION 


All thy children shall be taught of Jehovah; and great 
shall be the peace of thy children.—Isaiah 54: 13. 


There is a form of criticism which is very popular 
today among persons of middle age and older. It is the 
condemnation of the younger generation. 

There seems to be, speaking in general terms, very 
little sympathy or understanding between these two suc- 
ceeding generations. But is this not due to the exagger- 
ations of the rigidity of age and the rebelliousness of 
youth? It is certainly not necessary in the nature of 
things. 

Take two examples from the Bible, and let them be 
selected from those circumstances where perhaps most 
of the difficulty centres: What could be more delightful 
than the relation existing between Ruth and her mother- 
in-law, Naomi? or between Moses and his father-in-law, 
Jethro? And doubtless as you read this, you also can 
recall examples of a like happy relationship between per- 
sons in succeeding generations. 

There is great wisdom in the words of a college stu- 
dent who, in reply to the rather testy criticism of an older 
man, said: “If our fathers had all the good qualities 
we are supposed to lack, why have they not known how 
to impart them to us?” 

The criticism of a succeeding generation always im- 
plies condemnation of the predecessor,—though critics 
are not always aware of this. 

Perhaps the situation would be greatly improved if 
each generation learned how to establish in its successor 
the principles of genuine religion instead of issuing a 
futile plea for mere imitation. 

The great need is for an effective system of religious 
education, 


53 


VINDICTIVENESS 


Vengeance belongeth unto me; I will recompense, 
saith the Lord.—Romans 12: 19. 


There are few qualities which are more overmastering 
in a man than vindictiveness. ‘To follow up your enemy 
with that relentlessness that gives him no opportunity to 
repent is both socially unjust because of your lack of 
complete information, and tactically foolish as offering 
no occasion for winning his friendship. 

The only person who is qualified to recompense final 
judgment is God, the all-seeing, all-wise, all-loving. 

One reason why some men have such persistent ene- 
mies is because they are continually hounding their 
enemies to fresh hostilities. They give them no chance 
to consider in quietness; they offer no opportunity for 
that gradual withdrawal that precedes the making of 
peace. “They do not see that the victory of annihilation 
is really no victory at all. 

Naturally there are some things which no decent man 
will permit to be done save over his dead body. But he 
may resist and prevent the doing of these things without 
becoming vindictive. He may show a readiness to win 
over his enemy to become an ally that will prove no small 
factor in stopping the enemy and may ultimately add a 
new defender for his cause. 

Let us beware lest our enemies prove to be chiefly the 
creation of our own vindictive spirit. 


54 


UNITY IN DIVERSITY 


When they perceived the grace that was given unto 
me, James, Cephas and John ... gave to me and Bar- 
nabas the right hands of fellowship, that we should go 
unto the Gentiles, and they unto the circumcision.— 
Galatians 2:9. 


One of the hardest things in the world is to recognize 
merit and value in those who disagree with us. ‘This is 
particularly difficult in religious issues, since religion 
usually is manifested in strong personal convictions. 
And it is always difficult for men with strong personal 
convictions to leave room for the convictions of other 
people. ‘The instinct to set oneself up. as the ultimate 
standard to which all others must conform is almost 
irresistible. 

And yet when we face the facts of life we discover 
that there is almost always more than one way of ap- 
proaching the same spiritual purpose. There is, for 
example, the way of the formal and literalistic type of 
mind, and there is that of the poetical and symbolical 
type. The presentation of the same truth to these two 
types will necessarily differ, and so will its embodiment. 
Why not? And why should not each recognize the 
independent rights of the other? It is not uniformity 
that the world needs, but unity. 

When Paul and Barnabas carried the Gospel to the 
Gentiles they found it necessary to proceed differently 
from James and Cephas and John in dealing with the 
Jews. At first this difference was a cause of dissension 
among them. But soon, like sensible men, they gave 
each other the right hands of fellowship and travelled 
by differing ways toward the same goal with mutual 
good will, 


55 


TYRANNY IS VAIN 
Trust not in oppression.—Psalm 62: 10. 


For most men, this counsel is a very difficult one to 
accept. It is peculiarly hard in an age which is inclined 
to render undue homage to the “ go-getter,” the man 
who “ produces results.” ‘Truly the doer of deeds is a 
man of mark in any age or civilization. But to set up 
measurable accomplishment as the test of a man’s value, 
is hardly consonant with all the facts of human life. 
To worship success as the only goal in any walk of life 
is to invite men to trust in oppression. 

Any work in which men are engaged arouses, sooner 
or later, active, or at least passive opposition. “The in- 
variable temptation for the producing of immediate re- 
sults is to crush that opposition. It looks as if this were 
both the quickest and surest way. Most of us are willing 
to stretch a point of conscience in order to kill the oppo- 
sition and get a clear field for our purposes. We think 
Wwe are wise when we are the biggest fools. 

For if there is one thing history teaches us, it is that 
a dead enemy unjustly slain is more alive than ever. 

Throttled minorities, silenced opposition, every expres- 
sion of tyranny must be in the long run self-defeating. 

God alone is our refuge, who shall bring us all into 
obedience to His will. 


56 


FAITH 
I. A VENTURE 


Faith is assurance of things hoped for, a conviction of 
things not seen.—Hebrews 11:1. 


Faith is a many-sided word. Perhaps by concentrat- 
ing our attention on its various aspects successively, we 
may end by being more fully aware of its illimitable 
glory. It is not a narrower view that we seek but, 
through analysis and concentration on one point, a truer 
ultimate appreciation of the whole. 

Faith is certainly a venture. Cautious timidity finds 
no part in it. ‘To exercise faith, the soul must stand up 
in full strength and reach out into the unknown with 
reasonable courage and hope. It will not be done with- 
out daring. It means taking a chance from the worldly 
point of view because we believe in invisible and ‘un- 
provable’ things. 

Some men decline to believe for this very reason. 
They propose to conduct their lives on the basis that 
seeing is believing. But is not all genuine wisdom op- 
posed to them? Life demands the venture of faith. 
Geometry, with its unprovable axiom, philosophy with 
its accepted postulate, science with its experimental 
hypothesis, all these bear witness to the rights of faith in 
human life. And behind them all stands the vital re- 
quirement of faith in the religious sense. 

To utter the great declaration of faith: “ In the begin- 
ning God,” can never be the logical conclusion of 
assembled evidence. It must ever remain a venture 
calling for courage and trust. 


57 


FAITH 
Il. A CONCLUSION 


Believe not every spirit, but prove the spirits, whether 


they are of God.—I John 4:1. 


The element of venture is a vital part of faith. But 
it should always be remembered that faith is not a barren 
gesture of confidence in a doubtful world, a brave but 
reckless plunge into the unknown. 

No faith in God is worth considering which does not 
find verification in progressive human experience. Even 
the beliefs of the past must submit to the testing of today, 
if they would be accepted today. 

The man of faith is not your credulous fellow, easily 
believing anything without discrimination. He keeps 
testing his faith, retaining the pure ore and casting out 
the slag. 

Not all that is preached to us is worthy of belief, 
though it be presented never so fervently. We must 
keep testing lest our lives become cluttered up with 
superstitions and prejudices, lest we be left like a rueful 
child who has captured a butterfly clutching the dead 
form after the life has fled. 

In any genuinely religious faith there must be the dis- 
cipline of experience. Otherwise religion and life will 
be separated and immorality will inevitably follow. 

Reason can never take the place of faith, but if your 
faith be unreasonable, a mere defiance of daily experi- 
ence, it will bring you neither peace nor power. 


58 


FAITH 
Ill. A CREATIVE ENERGY 


If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed . . . 
nothing shall be impossible unto youu—Matthew 17: 20. 


Faith is not only a venture, calling for daring, and to 
be tested by the progressive experience of mankind, it is 
also an energy capable of bringing to pass new things. 
Religion is not just an interpretation of things as they 
are. It is a means of changing things according to God’s 
will. And faith is the power which effects these changes. 

Usually when we sit down in despair and ask our- 
selves, How can there be God with such terrible things 
in the world? we ought to be bringing forth our faith as 
a transforming energy rather than questioning its justifi- 
cation in worldly terms. 

Faith, to be sound and whole, must have in it the 
ability to defy the evidence of things that are and to 
declare things to come. In itself it must carry the 
earnest of progress—a new heaven and a new earth. 

It is most unfortunate (to pass by for the moment that 
it is also a profound error) that our age approaches faith 
from the negative side: Can I believe? 

It will be a great blessing when we rediscover that 
God is always offering to men the power that alone is 
able to transform ourselves and the world in which 
we live. 


59 


OVER-CONFIDENCE 


Let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he 
fall_——I Corinthians 10: 12. 


Success is always perilous. The successful man 
neglects to judge himself. He forgets how far his 
achievements are due to circumstances or other people. 
He accepts as his due the popular homage that an undis- 
criminating world always renders to the successful man. 

And—*“ pride cometh before a fall.” 

It is worth while for a man to examine himself con- 
tinually lest, some little leak in the dyke being neglected, 
he suddenly find himself overwhelmed in the inundating 
sea. For the only stability on which a man can rely is 
not his reputation, even when that is founded on his own 
achievements, but the strength of his character at any 
given moment as revealed to himself by constant watch- 
fulness. Not a petty introspective spirit indeed, which 
is always crippling, but sound self-knowledge. 

For the margin between success and failure is always 
very small. 

Perhaps it is safest to remember what Sir James M. 
Barrie said: “ We are all of us failures—at least all the 
best of us are.” In that frame of mind we shall be on 
the watch for those flaws in ourselves which are the be- 
ginning of the only real disaster that can befall us. 

‘The man who is in real danger is the man who thinks 
he is perfectly safe. 


60 


TOLERANCE 


Refrain from these men, and let them alone; for if this 
counsel or this work be of men, it will be overthrown; 
but if it is of God, ye will not be able to overthrow them. 
—Acts 5: 38-39. 


‘There were times of tumult and disorder in the early 
days of the Christian Church. But these occasions were, 
in most cases at least, due to the intolerant public opin- 
ion of those days. “The mob took it for granted that 
thought and speech should be controlled by force, and 
proceeded to practice their prejudices. 

A beautiful illustration of tolerance was offered by 
the great rabbi Gamaliel who opposed his Jewish fellow- 
countrymen in trying to silence the apostles, and declared 
that the rightness or wrongness of their preaching would 
appear if the outcome of it were left in the hands of God. 

‘The same tolerance based on faith in God is greatly 
needed today. Not that men should be indifferent as to 
what is thought or said, but that they should have such 
faith in God as to believe that the truth will ultimately 
prevail. 

At bottom intolerance is the product of scepticism and 
consequent fear. “The intolerant man is afraid because 
in his heart he does not believe that God has any ex- 
istence apart from himself. Instead of believing in God 
he patronizes Him as an extension of himself and goes 
about in mortal fear lest his own little private theories 
of life be disturbed. 

Surely the teaching of history is plain: There can be 
no boundaries set to thought; there can be no forcible 
control of belief. 

“The truth is great and shall prevail 
When none care whether it prevail or not.” 


61 


TIRESOME PEOPLE 


I am weary of my life because of the daughters of 
Heth.—Genesis 27: 46. 


We hear much today about the necessity of self- 
expression. But I note that the idea usually is stressed 
by those whose manner of self-expression has little of in- 
terest or value for other people. “The kind of man whose 
conversation is only the by-product of energetic egotism 
is soon known asa bore. Before his coming men rise up- 
and flee. ‘They know he is come when he arrives, and if 
they remain for an hour of his talk they will know no 
more. 

What can be more irritating than the feminine chatter 
that betokens nothing but uncontrolled nervous explo- 
sions? How many visits to picture galleries, how many 
journeys amid great natural beauties are marred by 
these things! 

The presence or visits of such people make the life of 
a good many households well-nigh unbearable. “They 
are seldom silent, listening or meditating. The slightest 
stimulus releases the same old story. “They criticize, not 
to improve things, but to express their own superiority. 

Is there no good in them? 

No; not until they learn that the world does not exist 
to receive the imprint of their wearisome selves. Not 
until they learn that there are subtler ways of enjoying 
life than by making a big noise. 


62 


THE SOUL’S THIRST 


As the hart panteth after the water brooks, 

So panteth my soul after thee, O God. 

My soul thirsteth for God, for the living God. 
—Psalm 42: 1-2. 


The very essence of life is desire. The only creature 
who wants nothing is dead. 

Now there is a kind of religion that teaches us that all 
desire is evil. Buddha says, “‘ Whom thirst conquers, 
thirst the contemptible, for him will suffering grow as 
the grass grows. Who conquers thirst, the contemptible, 
which is hard to escape in the world, from him will 
suffering fall away like water drops from the lotus 
flower.” 

A more adequate religion teaches us that happiness and 
peace consist not in the negation of desire, but in its right 
direction and use. Furthermore, it tells us that all the 
humbler thirsts of human life are only parables of the 
great thirst of the soul for God. 

As Spurgeon put it: “ When it is as natural for us to 
long for God as for an animal to thirst, it is well with 
our souls, however painful our feelings.” 

The one inexorable thirst of life is the thirst for God. 
To deny that thirst is to begin the committing of a form 
of slow murder which involves the utmost in cruelty to 
yourself and to others. 


63 


THE TEST OF REPENTANCE 


Bring forth therefore fruit worthy of repentance.— 
Matthew 3: 8. 


Our age needs a fresh study of the teaching of John 
the Baptist. We have forgotten the background of dis- 
content and repentance against which the real value of 
the Gospel shines forth. We are inclined (at least more 
frequently than is justified) to view Christianity as an 
agreeably beneficent manner of life demanding no par- 
ticular depth of feeling and experience. 

‘The repentance which makes us turn from the sins of 
our own day with a shudder of revulsion and reach for 
the Gospel with the eagerness of desperate need is lack- 
ing. In its place we find remorse, brief periods of 
enormous self-pity, passing moments of sentimental 
regret. Many of us are worldlings, sick at heart, dully 
aware of the futility of material existence as an end in 
itself, but without enough of the pioneering spirit to set 
forth and discover the spiritual continents that await 
colonists. Our so-called repentance is the substitute 
remorse that leads to despair and not the resolute right- 
about-face that leads to a new life. 

We need to test our repentance, not by the acuteness 
of our feelings at any moment, but by the change it 
effects in our daily life afterwards. 

By that test maybe we haven’t as yet repented at all! 


64 


ON THINKING MEANLY OF OURSELVES 
W ell done, good and faithful servant—Matthew 25: 21. 


This word of commendation was addressed not only to 
the man who, receiving five talents, brought in five new 
talents to his lord; but also to the man who, having 
received two talents, brought in two new talents. The 
two-talented man obtained the same praise as his more 
talented fellow-servant. 

Could there be a more lovely parable of God’s dealing 
with His people? 

He is exacting in that He demands of each one service 
according to his ability. But He is just in that His 
commendation depends not on the amount of our service 
but on its relation to our qualifications. 

Oftentimes we are tempted to think meanly of our- 
selves, to despise ourselves as insignificant and worthless. 
Truly it is well for us “not to think of ourselves more 
highly than we ought to think, but so to think as to think 
soberly,’ and yet we ought never to forget that God 
takes us for what we are and deals with us on the basis 
of omniscient justice. ‘The one-talented man was cast 
into outer darkness, not because he did not do the work 
of a five-talented man, but because he did not even use 
his one talent. 

The worldly conception of greatness does not hold 
before God. God never thinks meanly of the best en- 
deavours of His servants. He calls us “ good and faith- 
ful servants’ when we make full use of what we have 
received, 


65 


THE TWO GLORIES 


For they loved the glory that is of men more than the 
glory that is of God.—John 12: 43. 


Here is a choice that often has to be made. Will you 
take the side that seems to be popular, or the side that 
you know is right? 

Many of the rulers, says the Evangelist, believed in 
Jesus, but they did not confess it, for fear they would be 
put out of their place. 

Many a man in office hesitates to do what his con- 
science tells him, lest by so doing he should lose his posi- 
tion. Many a private person shrinks from expressing his 
real convictions, lest it should make him unpopular. 

I do not say that if a man sticks to his convictions 
and stands up for them, he will always come out on top 
in the long run and be praised as a hero. Sometimes it 
happens so, but not always. To rely on that is to miss 
the central meaning of life’s challenge. 

Which would you rather have, the brief applause of 
men, or the eternal approval of God? 

That is the choice which we must make between the 
two glories. 


66 


THE FAITH OF DOUBTERS 
I believe; help thou mine unbelief —Mark 9: 24. 


There are many varieties of religious experience. 
These arise from the difference of human minds and 
temperaments. 

There are sentimentalists, who can believe anything 
if it is sufficiently exciting. ‘Their lives are built around 
an exclamation point. 

There are dogmatists, who can believe anything that 
is definitely and positively stated by authority. ‘Their 
lives are built around a full stop. 

There are natural and inevitable sceptics who question 
everything and always ask why and how. ‘Their lives 
are built around an interrogation point. 

The man in the text seems to have belonged to this 
last class. He doubted, yet he _ believed,—believed 
enough to ask, and to receive, his blessing. 

One of the greatest of English preachers, Robertson 
of Brighton, fell into doubts so deep that he had to give 
up preaching and go away into the mountains. 

“Yet one thing I believe,” said he, ‘‘ it must be right 
to do right.” Following that star of faith he came back 
into a more joyous and fruitful ministry than he had 
ever known before. 

Doubt is but fog, however thick. Faith is a light, 
however dim. 


67 


THE DOUBTS OF BELIEVERS 


When they saw him, they worshipped him; but some 
doubted. —Matthew 28: 17. 


Doubt is not a sin. 

It is a questioning state of mind,—sometimes a 
hindrance. sometimes a stimulus. Which it shall be 
depends on the wav we take it. 

If we demand that faith shall be equivalent to knowl- 
edge we make a mistake. It is always an adventure,— 
something that cannot now be proved but may be lived 
by. If we stop living by it we shall never get the proof. 

One of my best friends was a noble man, smitten in 
the prime of youth with an incurable disease. He always 
doubted, yet he lived a clean Christian life, and I am 
sure that he knows now the truth of all that he 
questioned. 

With our finite minds we cannot picture God. Is that 
an evidence that He does not exist? I should say the 
contrary. 

We cannot clearly imagine the life beyond death. 
We have not got the factors. But does that disprove its 
reality? On the contrary, I think it is in favour of 
faith in immortality. 

Most of our doubts are failures or limitations of 
imagination. ‘These are so natural and inevitable that 
we should not allow them to make us unbelievers. 


68 


VAIN EXCUSES 


All with one consent began to make excuse.—Luke 
Tarlo, 


It is always possible to offer a perfectly plausible 
excuse for doing anything you want to do, or for leaving 
undone whatever you wish to avoid. Nothing could be 
simpler. First decide what you want to do, and supply 
the reasons afterwards. 

But of what value is your excuse to yourself? If you 
avoid the greatest thing in the world in order to carry 
out some secondary obligation—where does that leave 
you, regardless of the cogency of your excuse? 

No man ever got anywhere yet by explaining and 
excusing himself. And yet how often we try that road! 

No time to live—because we must make money. 

No time for our friends—because we have so many 
social duties. 

No time for thought—because we must talk con- 
tinuously. 

No time to grow—because we must “ express our- 
selves.” 

No time for service—because we must be always 
pleasing ourselves. 

No time for health—because we must be famous. 

No time for love—because we will not forget our 
proud selves. 

Empty churches—because of crowded benches and 
beaches. 

God forgotten—because of our preoccupation with 
idle affairs. 

How far do you think these excuses will satisfy our 
own enlightened consciences when we awake from 
dreams to reality? 


69 


EXPECTATIONS 


He gave heed unto them, expecting to receive some- 
thing from them.—Acts 3: 5. 


The lame beggar at the beautiful gate of the temple 
expected to receive alms from Peter and John. I sup- 
pose he was struck by their benevolent attitude and the 
fact that his plea had captured their attention. But he 
had no idea that he was to be the recipient of the bless- 
ing of healing rather than a stray coin or two. 

His expectation was too low. ‘The gift was far 
greater than anything he had dared to hope. 

Do we not all often find ourselves in a similar posi- 
tion with regard to our expectations from other people? 
Of course we are sometimes disappointed. But are not 
our disappointments usually in material things? (The 
lame beggar, you notice, didn’t get any money.) 

Perhaps our expectations from the men we meet in- 
stead of being too high are really too low. Rather than 
asking for the means to eke out a broken and miserable 
existence we should seek spiritual blessing. For is there 
not in all good men a blessing which they are ready to 
confer on all who will receive it? It may not usually 
be a complete healing, but it is part of the healing 
process of life. 

I am filled with humility when I remember how 


many men have far exceeded the poor expectation I have 
had of them. 


70 


IRREFUTABLE FACTS 


And seeing the man that was healed standing with 
them, they could say nothing against it—Acts 4:14. 


An interesting thing brought to light by the attempt to 
scale Mount Everest was the fact that several centuries 
ago when European scientists at the foot of Mont Blanc 
were learnedly arguing whether or not life were possible 
on that snowy summit, or whether at such a height any 
sound could be heard, Tibetan peasants were walking, 
as a matter of course, over mountain passes hundreds of 
feet higher. 

Lots of things that we consider impossible are daily 
being done by simple folk who approach them as prac- 
tical issues. 

While men who are somewhat overweighted with 
their learning declare the impossibility of being born 
again and the impotence of the spirit in the face of mat- 
ter, others are testing the power of God and rejoicing 
in its achievements. 

After all is said and done, it is not our theories or 
prejudices that rule the world. Facts are inescapable— 
whether we like it or not. 

Perhaps it would be better in so big a universe if we 
took a less theoretical and dogmatic position and ac- 
quired a humbly inquiring attitude. 

Doubtless, then, we should be spared the humiliating 
experience of being confronted with irrefutable facts that 
reveal the inadequacy of our petty theories and systems 
of thought. 


71 


COMBATING EVIL 


Handle not, nor taste, nor touch ... are not of any 
value against the indulgence of the flesh——Colossians 
22 22a, 


The trouble with asceticism as a theory of life is that 
it defeats its own ends. Setting out to be a means of 
combating the indulgence of the flesh it fails to accom- 
plish its purpose. 

The reason for this failure is evident. It is purely 
negative. It tries to make a man good by pointing out 
to him only what he must not do. Modern psychology 
(not to mention ancient religion) plainly reveals the im- 
possibility of this attitude as a sufficient restraint. ‘There 
is an ‘‘imp of the perverse” in all of us. The only 
feasible way to keep out of evil is to be totally preoccu- 
pied with good. Attach yourself to a noble cause, and 
temptations to all sorts of evil and unimportant things 
lose most of their power. 

‘There is such a thing as being so concerned over com- 
bating sin as to be irresistibly drawn to it. Many a 
sermon which directs its attack on sin through a lurid 
description of its nature, only makes it attractive by 
centring attention on it. The preacher’s purpose is 
good, but his strategy is wretched. 

‘The indulgence of the flesh is best combated by the 
consecration of men,—body, soul and spirit,—to the 
engrossing ideal of the kingdom of God. 


72 


HATRED OF EVIL 
O ye that love Jehovah, hate evil—Psalm 97: 10. 


Every emotion of man has its service to perform in 
the conduct of life. Most of our difficulties come from 
the misuse or abuse of what in its right use is good. 

The terrible revulsions of hatred with their destruc- 
tive strength have their place. ‘They are the natural 
complement of the love of that which is high and lovely 
and pure. ‘he lcver of God must hate evil as He 
hates it. 

And that means we must hate it with an annihilating 
hatred. Most of us are content to grieve over it and 
cry: Alas, alas! 

This will never do. We must not be satisfied to 
escape the direct clutches of evil. We must launch 
against it a campaign of extermination. And that calls 
for all the resourcefulness available in ourselves and 
in God. 

For evil is deceptive beyond anything in the world. 
Attack it in one place and it slips away into another place 
leaving the stupid reformer hammering at the door of 
an empty house. 

Do you remember the scourges of white pine blister 
that destroyed so many noble trees a few years ago? 
Little could be accomplished by trying to save each sick 
tree. Only when men’s sorrow at that destruction ad- 
vanced to the disciplined hatred that traced the propaga- 
tion of the pines’ disease to the currant and gooseberry 
bushes, and set an army of men to root them out—only 
then was it effective. 

So must it be with evil in ourselves and in others. As 
you love God, hate it till it is dead. 


73 


TOO MUCH EQUIPMENT 


David said unto Saul, I cannot go with these, for I 
have not proved them. And David put them off him.— 
I Samuel 17: 39. 


So soon as Saul had put his armour on David, David 
found that he had to be rid of that equipment or he 
could not meet Goliath in battle. So he put off Saul’s 
paraphernalia of war and went to the conquest of his 
country’s enemy with the slight outfit of sling and stones 
to which he was accustomed. 

David was not the first, nor is he the last man to find 
himself handicapped by too much equipment. Many a 
man’s native skill is restrained by the heavy armour laid 
on him by foolish friends or by his silly self. 

Preachers keep themselves from preaching the Gospel 
because they desire to make a great display of their 
learning. 

Churches fail to win the allegiance of men because 
they devote too much time to material equipment. Col- 
leges and schools provide the latest things in dormitories 
and class-rooms and laboratories, but take too much for 
granted the teaching and studying that is supposed to 
justify them. 

Parents spend huge sums of money on the clothing of 
their children, their external manners and appearance 
and in preparing the positions in life which they are to 
occupy. But like as not the poor youths will rattle 
around in it all like dry peas in a pod. 

The finest equipment is sometimes only a handicap. 


74 


NOT ENOUGH EQUIPMENT 


Distribution was made unto each, according as any 
one had need.—Acts 4: 35. 


If some people are so overburdened with equipment as 
to be handicapped by its weight and the care it requires, 
it is equally true that others have so little that they are 
continually working at reduced efficiency. 

It may be quite possible for a man to cut down a tree 
with a penknife, but we ought not to complain if he 
takes a long time to do it. 

The workman in every line of labour is worthy of his 
tools,—no less the workman in ideals than the workman 
in ideas expressed through matter. 

Did you ever try to think, when you were cold? 
Did you ever try to grow mentally without the stimulus 
of like-minded persons? Did you ever try to follow a 
great thought in an atmosphere of continual petty 
anxiety? 

I enter a plea on behalf of the workmen in ideals— 
teachers, missionaries, social workers, thinkers. For the 
most part, these are workers who lack equipment. Be- 
ing idealists, they are as a class hard workers. But how 
often the tools of their trade are denied them!—books, 
fellowship with others like themselves, leisure to think 
hard and deeply, brief repose and diversion in which 
their weary minds may be restored and refreshed. 

Idealists need equipment as much as any man. 


75 


THE PERILS OF AN EMPTY HEART 


The last state of that man becometh worse than the 
first—Matthew 12: 45. 


The only possible way to keep evil out of your heart 
is to fill it with good. An empty heart, like an open 
door, is an invitation to the passerby to enter in. 

Practically all men—a small and fearful minority to 
the contrary—really long for the good, the beautiful, 
the true. The pet thesis of the vociferous pessimists 
(“ Christian ” and others), that human nature is essen- 
tially in love with evil, is the product of a diseased 
imagination. But that we “all fail and come short of 
the glory of God ” is the judgment of an honest observer 
of human live. 

The main trouble with human nature’s campaign 
against evil is its blundering character. We are so 
inexpressibly stupid. 

We put a fearful strain upon the nerves of our young 
people by giving them a long list of ‘‘ don’ts ”; but how 
seldom we implant a living grace. We threaten and 
cajole and bluster at one another and ourselves, but it is 
all futile. Life cannot be lived on a negative basis. 
You cannot seat a child (or a grown person) on a chair 
and say: ‘‘ Now be good.” 

Either fill the heart with good, or evil will inevitably 
possess it. An empty heart is no more defensible than 
an empty fortress. Fill it with invincible love and its 
defenses are impregnable. 


76 


PERSONAL CHOICE 


Whosoever will—Revelation 22:17. 





I see that the authorities of a university in Chicago 
have declared that heredity and environment are nearly 
equal in shaping human fortune. Good! But these 
learned men say nothing about the most potent force of 
all,—personal choice, the liberty of the soul. 

Every man has a thousand ancestors from whom he 
inherits. It is for him to choose which line of heredity 
he will follow. 

In every man’s environment there are a thousand in- 
fluences for good or for evil. It is for him to choose 
which of them he prefers, and with which he will 
co-operate. 

It is a strange confusion of forces in which we have 
to live, brother, but it is for each of us to say, personally, 
whether we want to live upward or downward. Free 
will can conquer both heredity and environment. 

Unless this is true, religion is a vain thing and a 
mockery. 

Christ, consorting with publicans and sinners, taught 
this gospel of freedom, If you will be free and be saved, 
you can, no matter what your heredity and environment. 
When the word of faith comes to you, you have your 
chance. 


77 


ABUSING EDUCATION 


Whoso shall cause one of these little ones that believe 
on me to stumble, it is profitable for him that a great 
millstone should be hanged about his neck, and that he 
should be sunk in the depth of the sea—Matthew 18:6 


‘There can be no doubt that the present day rediscov- 
ery of the value and possibility in a child is a great 
event. But there can also be no doubt that this redis- 
covery is full of peril. Like every natural factor in 
human life, it can be employed for a good purpose or 
abused for an evil purpose. ‘The state may insist on 
education for all its child citizens, but the question still 
remains as to the nature of that education. Will it be 
a true leading out of the children’s life, or the circulation 
of prejudice? ‘Thieves also may and do conduct schools 
for their own purpose. 

“To take them young” is a sound principle: for the 
malleability of a child’s mind and habits is proverbial. 
But how terrible is the crime of those who abuse this 
fact by inculcating prejudice or establishing bad habits. 

Is there any more terrifying sight than to see an inno- 
cent little child, unable in himself to comprehend the 
significance of his conduct, aping prejudices or evil habits 
of mind and hand learned from parents and other 
teachers? 

And what shall be said of him who betrays the trust 
and weakness of a child by employing the power of edu- 
cation for evil? He is the most despicable of all men, fit 
only, as Jesus said, to be sunk in the depth of the sea. 


3 


78 


EDUCATING THE WILL 


Train up a child in the way he should go, 
And even when he is old he will not depart from it. 
—Proverbs 22:6. 


Education in these days is coming into its rightful 
heritage of honour. It is one of the good signs of the 
times. ‘The crisis that hastened the event was largely a 
by-product of that great catastrophe which we call the 
World War. We are learning the value of educated 
men, 

Also we have some very interesting data on the weak- 
nesses of the little education we already have. And 
unless I miss my guess the discovery of most far-reaching 
social consequence in the field of education today is the 
discovery that the education of the will must be central. 
to the whole system. Without that there can be no se- 
curity and no confidence. 

We are all familiar nowadays with the failure of the 
attempt of the older generation to make the younger 
generation a duplicate of itself. ‘Train; teach, discipline 
as much as you like—it can’t be done with any regular- 
ity. One boy may submit, but the next may revolt and 
go to the opposite extreme. The same thing externally 
applied may produce diametrically opposite results. ‘The 
one hope of continuity through the generations lies in 
the education of the will. 

The unity of humanity can be found only in God. 
Men whose wills are educated to do God’s will stand 
together no matter to what generation they belong. 
That’s why religion is the heart of all education. 


79 


ECCENTRIC PEOPLE 


If any man thinketh that he is wise among you in 
this world, let him become a fool, that he may become 
wise.—I Corinthians 3: 18. 


To be called eccentric by some people is really a great 
compliment. For as Ion Keith Falconer wrote in a 
letter to a friend: ‘‘ The usual centre is self, the proper 
centre is God. If therefore one lives for God, one is 
out of centre or eccentric with regard to the people who 
do not.” 

Nothing can be more important for a man than to find 
the true centre of life and live accordingly. 

Before Copernicus it was believed that the earth was 
the centre of the universe. Then men learned that the 
sun is the centre of our system. “Today the stupendous 
conception of endless systems towering in illimitable 
space leads the thought of man out in ever enlarging 
circles seeking to find the centre of the universe. 

So in our thought of human life must we reach out 
beyond ourselves until by faith we rest in God. Only 
so can our lives run their true course. 

By the worldly man we shall be called peculiar, eccen- 
tric. And from his narrow point of view we shall be 
so. But the pioneers, the men of faith, are always ridi- 
culed and opposed. 

The lurid glare of the passing moment does not betray 
the really eccentric people. Only the calm light of 
eternity can do that. 


80 


EARNING YOUR LIVING AND SPENDING 
YOUR LIFE ‘ 


Wherefore do ye spend money for that which is not 
bread? and your labour for that which satisfieth not?— 
Isaiah 55: 2. 


Earning your living and spending your life are only 
two aspects of the same thing. 

The mistake that many people make is that they enter 
the market to sell their talents to the highest financial 
bidder. In other words they minimize and often totally 
overlook any other return on the expenditure of their 
lives than that which can be expressed in terms of dol- 
lars and cents. 

But there is another sort of income without which 
life degenerates into a barren and bitter existence. I 
mean spiritual satisfaction. 

The people who perceive this truth and act on it are 
the truly happy people. While they recognize the need 
for a certain minimum money income their real payment 
for labour is found in those spiritual satisfactions which 
are beyond money valuation. 

What teacher would surrender the joy she finds in 
the achievement of her pupil? 

What minister could live save in his secret delight at 
the youth going on from strength to strength or the 
sinner directed to salvation? 

To set a mere money valuation on your labour is a 
perilous mistake. For just as surely as you must earn 
your living must you spend your life. 

And if you earn only money, where will you obtain 
peace? 


81 


THE ALMIGHTY RESERVE FORCE 
I was brought low and he saved me.—Psalm 116: 6, 


The ultimate winning of a war depends on the re- 
serve force which can be called into the field to stay a 
defeat or to clinch a victory. 

The same thing is true of the spiritual conflict, the 
battle of life. 

The reason why men and women fail and go under, 
is because they will not believe in the almighty reserve 
force which is behind them, waiting to be called. 

God is good. If you want to be good, He is ready 
and able to reinforce you. 

I like that Salvation Army slogan: Down but not out. 

Perhaps you are low in your mind, today. You think 
you are losing. What difference does that make? Stick 
to your duty. Fight a good fight. Call up the heavenly 
reserves through faith and prayer. You shall win at last. 

Learn to distinguish between a reverse and a de- 
feat. Learn to put more confidence in the Divine 
reinforcements. 

Exercise the two virtues with which God is always 
well-pleased,—hAumility and courage. Do not be 
ashamed to ask for help. Use it bravely when it comes 
over the hill. 


82 


: ey 


WHERE DECISIONS ARE MADE 


Far from the noise of archers, in the places of drawing 
water, 

There shall they rehearse the righteous acts of Jehovah. 

—Judges 5:11. 


It is a curious delusion that most of us cherish, the 
delusion that the important things in human history are 
wars and dynastic changes and tumultuous public events. 
As a matter of fact, these things are in reality only the 
consequences of decisions long since made and now taking 
effect in the outward world. 

The exodus from Egypt and the settling of the Prom- 
ised Land, for example, are stirring events, but we ought 
not to forget that they would never have occurred unless 
Moses, guarding Jethro’s sheep in the lonely wilderness 
of Midian, had first made his decision in quietness. 

And so it is with most great deeds. “They are con- 
ceived in quiet communion with God, though they be 
carried out amid the stress and tumult of public conflict. 
Beware of the mistaken idea that heroism or other forms 
of greatness spring up spontaneously out of conflict! 

Long before were the issues decided and in far differ- 
ent scenes. Some poor little schoolroom, some meeting- 
place of friends, some obscure church, some inconspicu- 
ous library—in fact any place where the mighty acts of 
God are reviewed in tranquility—may enclose a turning- 
point in the world’s history. For there are made, by 
individual souls, the decisions on which events depend. 


83 


HAPPINESS ACCORDING TO JESUS 
I 


Blessed are they that have been persecuted for right- 
eousness sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.— 
Matthew 5: 10. 


Even though lots of people confuse solemnity with 
seriousness, and black clothes with piety, there can be 
no doubt that the religion to which Jesus calls men has 
a heart of joy. Jesus has set His approval on the 
human instinct for happiness. 

He calls on men to endure suffering,—but not sto- 
ically, grimly, without hope. Indeed, it is said of Him 
in the Bible that for the joy that was set before Him 
He endured the cross. 

Where we men go wrong is not in desiring happiness, 

but in the manner in which we expect to obtain it. 
Notice, then, three things about happiness according to 
Jesus. And today the first: 
Joy to Jesus was inward, not dependent on outward 
circumstances. “Those who have entered most sympa- 
thetically and understandingly into the experiences of 
His life, find no incongruity in applying to Him the 
tragic words of the great prophet: “ He was despised 
and rejected of men, a man of sorrows and acquainted 
with grief.” And yet He was never broken-spirited. 
Always we are conscious of His mighty will at work, 
even when His enemies seemed most powerful. He was 
never a mere victim, but always a willing sacrifice. 

From Him we learn that happiness does not consist 
in freedom from pain and grief, but in the presence of 
an inextinguishable joy in the heart. 


84 


HAPPINESS ACCORDING TO JESUS 
II 


He that findeth his life shall lose it; and he that loseth 
his life for my sake shall find it—Matthew 10: 39. 


Too often we set out to achieve happiness only to find 
that it is ever eluding us. Inward joy is not to be cap- 
tured by pursuit, however earnest. It is to be received 
as a free gift by those who do God’s will. 

The joy of Jesus was incidental, in the sense that it 
was never the object of His seeking. He “ pleased not 
himself,” He ‘‘ came not to be ministered unto, but to 
minister,” and therefore joy was His. 

Happiness is always a by-product. It never can be 
anything else. No man can command happiness. 

In its superficial form happiness may differ greatly in 
persons of various temperaments. It may be expressive 
or even vociferous; or it may be inarticulate and quiet. 
Noise is not an evidence of its reality. “There is such a 
thing as “the loud laugh that speaks the vacant mind.” 

We never read that Jesus laughed, though we read 
several times that He wept. His joy was the inward 
joy, kept living and fresh by the wayside springs, as He 
made His journey of service across the world. Is that 
not the heart of meaning in His words: “‘ He that find- 
eth his life shall lose it; and he that loseth his life for 
my sake shall find it”? 

No man can be happy until he forgets all about 
himself. 


85 


HAPPINESS ACCORDING TO JESUS 
Ill 


These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy may 
be in you, and that your joy may be made full—John 
TSSIT 


Jesus’ joy was not solitary, but social. His life was 
not centred in Himself, but in the salvation of all men. 
He looked round about on the multitude with compas- 
sion. He rejoiced in the triumphs of other people. 
When His disciples returned from their successful 
missionary tour He rejoiced in the spirit and said, “I 
thank thee, Father, Lord of heaven and earth.” He 
declared the joy that there is in heaven over one sinner 
that repenteth. 
| ‘There is in reality no such thing as a private joy. 
| There is private greed, gratification, selfishness. But 
| happiness is a social thing.’ No joy amounts to anything 
~ until you can share it with somebody else. 

Is there not right here the cause of most men’s failure 
to be happy? We want all our joys to be private per- 
sonal joys. Instead of rejoicing in the happiness of other 
people we pity ourselves and envy them. How much 
happiness we miss simply by failing to enter into the joys 
of other people or by trying to hoard pleasure for our- 
selves! We walk along a humdrum way shut up to our 
wretched selves, when we might be walking a path of 
glory. 

The bigger your heart, the more joy can get into it. 


86 


THE GOSPEL OF HOPE 
The hope that is in you.—I Peter 3:15. 


If you want to stay Christians you must read the New 
Testament. Doing this faithfully you will find St. Paul 
the apostle of faith, St. John the apostle of love, St. 
James the apostle of good works, and St. Peter the 
apostle of hope. 

Remember Peter’s story and you will understand the 
reason. ‘Three times he denied his Lord. Yet Christ 
gave him another chance, and he made good. 

To be without hope is to be without God. The 
pessimist is subconsciously an atheist. 

If your child goes wrong, do not say, ‘ You are hope- 
less, you are damned.” Say, “‘ You have erred. Repent, 
and have a hope.” 

Say the same thing to yourself when all looks black 
around you. , 

I hate all systems and theologies which extinguish 
hope. I accept all disciplines which leave room for hope 
and encourage it. 

Sir Joshua Reynolds painted Hope exultant, springing 
on the clouds. George Frederic Watts paints her pa- 
tient, playing on a single string, by the light of a single 
star. 


87 


PASSING OVER 


The old things are passed away; behold, they are 
become new.—II Corinthians 5: 17. 


Tout lasse, tout casse, tout passe: says the old French 
proverb. Everything grows tiresome, everything breaks 
down, everything passes away. But the Christian inter- 
pretation gives a new meaning to this sad true saying. 
It says that certain things do not merely pass on; they 
pass over, and become new. 

Exhaustion, destruction, disse neataton! is not the 
necessary fate of the things that mean most to us in this 
mortal life. Change, indeed, is inevitable. ‘Things can- 
not stay as they are, nor endure forever. 

But there is a power which preserves them even while 
they change and seem to vanish. “This power is regener- 
ation, the new birth. 

‘Thus ‘‘ the old order changeth, yielding place to new.” 
Thus forms and institutions which once seemed sacred 
perish to the eye, but cast their life into something larger 
and better. ‘“Chus when the earthly house of our taber- 
nacle, the body of flesh, is dissolved, we have a building 
from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the 
heavens. 

If we are Christians, we must believe in passing over. 


88 


FOOLISH DISCONTENT 


Murmur not among yourselves—John 6: 43. 


Smouldering discontent is one of the most destructive 
fires that burns in the human breast. It eats deep into 
the vitals of life and consumes more energy than any of 
the quick blazing fires of passion. 

Its origin is usually rebellion against life. 

Now it is never going to be possible for men to recon- 
cile or explain away all of the apparent contradictions of 
life. Every great thing that men have done has been the 
fruit of faith. While the chronic kickers are grumbling 
and complaining among themselves, the doers are making 
the venture of faith and getting results. 

Especially is this true in our attitude to Jesus Christ. 
We will never get anywhere worth going to as long as 
we debate back and forth on the basis of various texts 
or opinions ‘about Him. We must settle down to peace- 
ful convictions in our own hearts and lay aside our 
bickerings. 

Where do these endeavours to enclose the infinite in 
the finite lead us? Only to the misguided zeal of sense- 
less partisanships, 

It is better to bow humbly before the mystery of God 
Incarnate than to argue discontentedly about how and 
why and when. 

Omniscience is not one of the characteristics of men. 
But conceit is. 

Only when we stop our opinionated quarrelling over 
issues totally beyond our comprehension are we really 
able to perceive the glories that God is revealing. 


89 


DODGING DUTY 


The word of Jehovah came unto Jonah .. . saying, 
Arise, go to Nineveh. ... But Jonah rose up to flee 
unto Tarshish.—Jonah 1: 1-3. 


Jonah was not the first nor is he the last man to run 
away from the call of God. 

That is one of the most popular forms of conduct 
among inexperienced people. Men think that they can 
get away from God, that they can forget His call, that 
they can bury the memory of their religious experiences 
in a fever of another sort of activity. You may find 
plenty of such people wherever you are, and usually you 
may recognize them by the look of their faces, the joy- 
lessness of their lives. 

Some of them take ship, like Jonah, to a foreign land 
where they think they will find escape from the duties of 
citizenship and other personal responsibilities. Others 
remain at home but draw themselves aloof from needy 
folk by a haughty demeanour and other barriers, seen and 
unseen. Others launch out into a wild orgy with boon 
companions in the mad endeavour to forget the still 
small voice in their hearts. 
mp O, there are many ways of dodging duty! But none 
' of them provides a lasting escape. For there is no way 
_ of losing yourself except in obedience to the voice of 


God. 


90 


ACCEPTING THE WILL OF GOD 


Son of man, stand upon thy feet, and I will speak 
with thee-—Ezekiel 2:1. 


The futility of much that is called religion consists 
in our endeavour to receive it lying down. 

But religion is not received that way. Resignation is 
a great word, but it is not to be facilely pronounced. 
How often we sigh when things go wrong and say dis- 
piritedly: ‘‘ Oh, well, I suppose it’s the will of God.” 
If we really believed it were the will of God we should 
accept it in quite another spirit. ! 

Sometimes we use the phrase “ the will of God ” just 
to cover up our own inadequacy—the failure of rebellion. 
Sometimes as the utterance of despair. It ought only to 
be employed with reverent and willing acceptance. 

And the prime requirement for receiving the will of 
God is the attitude of readiness. For the Christian atti- 
tude calls for something far nobler and finer than being 
“resigned to the will of God.” It calls for the active 
acceptance of God’s will. We must stand on our feet 
and hear what the Lord will say unto us, ready to do 
our part in that will which is not only omnipotent but 
all-loving. 

This is the way of the Christ who came not to do His | 
own will but the will of Him that sent Him, and who. 
received the cross, not grudgingly but willingly, not as_ 
an inevitable sorrow, but as the way of salvation. 


gI 


NICE PEOPLE AND RESPECTABLE SINS 
I. ENVY 


For envy the chief priests had delivered him up.— 
Mark 15: 10. 


The very sins which finally brought Jesus to the cross 
are among the commonest sins of our day even among 
“nice people.” 

A great many of us for reasons of breeding, training, 
or natural caution easily avoid the grosser sensual sins 
which receive most of the opprobrium of civilized com- 
munities, while the sins of the spirit, which are the root 
sins of human nature, flourish among us. 

First consider envy. 

‘This is no rarity in our modern life, even within the 
churches. It is always a leading element in theological 
controversy. 

And how many of our dissatisfactions with life are 
due to casting envious eyes on the career of somebody 
else. We fail to count our own blessings because we are 
jealous of another’s blessings. 

The plain woman is envious of her beautiful sister. 
The poor man envies the rich man. ‘The man out of 
office is jealous of the office-holder. 

But there is something worse than experiencing this 
more or less natural but undesirable impulse. And that 
is, allowing our conduct to be controlled by envy. 

Doubtless the chief priests had many ways of justify- 
ing their hostility to Jesus. “The fact cannot be hid that 
they delivered Him up for envy. 

Is not the same sin horribly potent today? 


92 


NICE PEOPLE AND RESPECTABLE SINS 
II. GREED 


What are ye willing to give me, and I will deliver 
him unto you2—-Matthew 26:15. 


The final element in Judas’ willingness to betray Jesus 
was evidently greed, in which the money he received was 
only a symbol. 

Doubtless other elements entered into the horrible 
decision, but it was greed that clinched his determination. 

Nor is Judas the only man who has been thrust into 
evil by the chink of money in his hand. 

It has long been a commonplace of politics, as Sir 
Robert Walpole said: ‘‘ All men have their price.” But 
in order to perceive how often this sin makes its appear- 
ance we need to remember that the price is only occasion- 
ally cold cash. Often it is rank or title, influence or 
fame. 

Not all men desire exactly the same thing. 

Nor is it the kind of payment you receive that consti- 
tutes the sin. It is the willingness to allow whatever 
sort of gain appeals to you to control your action— 
regardless of truth and justice, and higher loyalties. 

The one man who is universally respected by decent 
people and feared by evildoers is the man who is uncon- 
trolled by the motive of greed. 

I leave it to you to judge whether greed does not 
remain one of the popular sins in every age. 


93 


NICE PEOPLE AND RESPECTABLE SINS 


f 


: ha. SRR 


mira CMa Ill. FALSE WITNESS 
a pete i s : 
wt For many bare false witness against him——Mark 14: 56. 


Bearing false witness against our neighbour is one of 
the most popular of our respectable sins. It is the basis 
of all slander and mean gossip, and is the constant at- 
mosphere of many tea-tables and of a large number of 
church societies. 

It is one of the same old sins that led finally to the 
crucifixion of Jesus. Not a whit changed in its nature 
it rears its ugly head wherever men forget or neglect 
the plain warnings of history. 

How easily we pick up the juicy morsel of gossip— 
quite careless of any investigation of its origin. We 
shake our heads sadly and pass it along, adding a quaint 
little twist of our own lest it lose anything in the telling. 

It isn’t always the language we use that is false. Some 
of us have “ principles ” against telling a lie in so many 
words. But O, how cleverly we can say one thing and 
imply another! A lifted eyebrow, a smirk,—and some- 
body’s reputation is permanently tarnished. 

Nor is it always unkindly intended. Sometimes we 
are just interested in making a good story. 

Decent men and women everywhere tremble at the 
thought of Jesus on the cross. 

And yet how little progress we have made in getting 
away from false witness which helped put Him there. 


94 


f GF 
7 ee 


NICE PEOPLE AND RESPECTABLE SINS 


AA bt Oe ff oat 
\ dehl® Bh big 


, fore = beat 
IV. SERVILITY CAN 
Miser ad 
Pilate . . . washed his hands ... saying, I am in- 
nocent, ... but Jesus he scourged and delivered to be 


crucified.—Matthew 27: 24-26. 





‘The truth is, Pilate was a coward. He lacked the 
courage of his convictions. Seeing which way the tide 
was running in that mob, he tried to still his conscience 
by uttering a half-hearted declaration of the innocence of 
his prisoner. ‘Then he falsely declared his own freedom 
from responsibility in the matter and handed over his 
prisoner. 

Technically he cleared himself—like a weak-kneed 
sheriff who surrenders his prisoner with a few feeble 
protests to the lynching mob. 

Of course Pilate was in a difficult place. ‘The mob 
was posing as a band of patriotic citizens, and Pilate was 
undoubtedly afraid of being called a traitor to Rome. 
He chose the easier course of bowing to the will of 
the mob. 

Is that rare today? 

A young man finds his friends proposing conduct con- 
trary to his judgment. He protests feebly, and then 
yields, saying: Well, it’s your idea and I’m not 
responsible. 

A business man accepts the chance to make a big deal 
by abandoning his convictions and descending to the 
conventional standards of business ethics. 

A young woman finds herself in a quandary, with her 
conscience recommending one course and her social ad- 
vancement another. 

Servility? O yes, there’s plenty of it right in ourselves. 


95 


V THE POWER OF THE CROSS 


I have been crucified with Christ.—Galatians 2: 20. 


This is not the easy and egoistic declaration of a 
superficial and self-centred thinker. It is the word of 
Paul who meditated as deeply as any man upon all the 
aspects of that terrible event on Calvary. 

What can he mean, then, by this simple but mo- 
mentous statement? 

What else but that he has so given himself over to 
Christ, so shared by sympathy in the tragical experience, 
that it has spiritually occurred to him. ‘Through self- 
obliterating sympathy Paul, too, has hung in anguish on 
the bitter cross. 

Consequently the crucifixion is not a mere event that 
has taken place and may now be forgotten; nor is it even 
to be limited as an important historical occurrence that 
has its effect outside the concern of the individual Chris- 
tian. It is a personal matter, something that has a direct 
bearing on each human being—something that not only 
has affected the course of human history but which does 
affect the direction of individual lives in every age. 

No man is wise enough to set forth adequately the 
historical or philosophical significance of the cross of 
Christ. But that, after all, is not the prime issue before 
you and me. 

Our concern must be so to enlarge our minds and 
hearts by sympathetic entrance into that terrible event, 
that we shall find the cross, not a dim far-off occurrence, 
but a present power for making us dead unto sin but 
alive unto God in Christ Jesus, 


96 


er 
a 


ee 


THE TOUCHSTONE OF RELIGION 
Lovest thou me?—John 21:17. 


Everyone who reads the Bible is familiar with the 
striking incident where Jesus three times put this ques- 
tion to Simon Peter. But it is evident that compara- 
tively few are aware of its far-reaching significance. 

For instance, do we realize that these three words 
form an epitome of Jesus’ requirement for discipleship ? 
And do we realize that the profoundest difficulties in the 
way of men becoming Christians lie in the realm of 
conscious decision and personal devotion rather than in 
the field of philosophy or science? 

“Man, woman, lovest thou me? ”’ is the question that 
in every age Christ addresses to each human soul. On 
the answer to that question, spoken in terms of everyday 
living, everything depends. 

The trouble is that many people if they honestly put 
their answer into words would say: 

“No, Lord, we don’t love you; that’s going too far. 
But we argue about you, and analyse you into elements 
of humanity and divinity and explain you in conflicting 
theories. We spend a good deal of time doing this and, 
as we're busy people, we have no time left to love you. 
In fact we have very little time to love anybody. In our 
opinion love is terribly inefficient and old-fashioned. 
Some day we'll invent a good substitute. In the mean- 
time we like to use your name because it lends influence 
to our theories among the unthinking multitude.” 

It sounds pretty raw, doesn’t it? But insofar as re- 
ligion is a failure today that is the reason, It lacks love. 


97 


CHRIST’S RESURRECTION AND OURS 


Now hath Christ been raised from the dead, the first- 
fruits of them that are asleep.—I Corinthians 15: 20. 


There are few historical events of a distant age that 
have had as trustworthy testimony borne to them as the 
resurrection of Jesus Christ. And there is none which 
has had as steady a stream of witness borne to it in every 
age. The history of the Christian Church is a living 
testimonial to confidence in that testimony and to a cor- 
roborating experience in the human heart. 

Doubtless there are inconsistencies in the testimony, 
as is always true of honest independent testimony every- 
where. Even the first three evangelists do not make 
identical reports. But as to the fact of the resurrection 
they report with absolute unanimity. 

Doubtless also a difficulty arises from the uniqueness 
of the event. ‘There is nothing with which we may 
compare it, and, as most of our speech is based on com- 
parisons, it is not easy to speak of the resurrection. 

But these are, of course, secondary matters. The his- 
torical fact itself remains unshaken. ‘The resurrection 
was the power that sent forth the Gospel to win the 
world through the disciples. 

Nor is this all. From the first the Christian Church 
has associated her faith in immortality with Christ’s 
resurrection. “This was never a step dictated by logic. 
It was an irresistible movement of the heart. You will 
argue about it only to your own confusion. But you will 
find its complete justification in the Master’s teaching 
about the human soul and the relation existing between 
the soul and himself, 


98 


PEACE WITHIN 


Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is 
stayed on thee.—lIsaiah 26: 3. 


The business of the world seems to be carried on in 
controversy, dispute, conflict, rising at times to the actual 
horror of war between great nations. 

No doubt all this confusion and turmoil comes from 
the selfishness, the ignorance, the imperfection of human 
nature, which theologians call “ original sin.” 

The lover of peace is distressed and troubled by the 
tumult and the strife. He longs for better things. He 
will not evade his duty or shrink from his part in a 
conflict between right and wrong. But he cannot live 
happily or work powerfully without a basis of peace. 

Let him find it within. Believing that God is all- 
merciful and omnipotent, that Christ Jesus came to save 
sinners, and that Love is almighty and everlasting, he has 
an impregnable citadel of inward peace. Nothing can 
conquer or dismay him. He is a child of God, 


99 


PREPAREDNESS 


Half of my servants wrought in the work, and half 
of them held the spears, the shields, and the bows.— 
Nehemiah 4: 16. 


This was a large proportion of armed force, fifty per 
cent of a small community. But then, you see, under 
Nehemiah the rebuilding of the wall of Jerusalem was 
surrounded by enemies who would have asked nothing 
better than to break it all down and throw the city back 
into helpless ruin. 

Nehemiah knew this, and therefore he acted as our 
Pilgrim fathers did when they carried their muskets to 
church. 

If all men were peaceful and friendly, pacifism would 
be the only true orthodoxy. Armies and police would be 
superfluous and sinful. But while the millennium is 
delayed, protection is necessary. And protection means 
preparedness. 

In the present state of the world to say, “I will not 
and cannot resist,’ is the same as saying, ‘“‘ Come and 
take what you like.” It would not be an incentive to 
peace, but an invitation to pillage. 

But the proportion of armaments to peaceful indus- 
tries must be determined by the necessities of the time 
and case. 

I have said before, and say again: It will be an ill day 
for America when we spend more for merely military 
defense than for the vital education of the people of 
these United States, 


I0O 


SENTIMENT AS A FORCE 


And the king said unto me, Why is thy countenance 
sad, seeing thou art not sick? this is nothing else but 
sorrow of heart-——Nehemiah 2: 2. 


Nehemiah was the king’s cupbearer, a high office in 
Babylon. He had heard of the ruin and desolation of 
Jerusalem, the home of his fathers, the shrine of his 
faith. ‘This grieved him to the heart and he could not 
keep it out of his face. It was this deep sentiment in 
Nehemiah that moved the wise king Artaxerxes to grant 
his trusted servant permission, and a subsidy, to rebuild 
Jerusalem. 

The most efficient men in the world are at heart men 
of sentiment. 

That is because mankind is more closely bound to- 
gether by its feelings than by its opinions. In our own 
day, gratitude for the refuge and help that a poor boy 
found in books has built thousands of libraries. Sorrow 
in the heart for the death of a beloved child has raised 
a new wall against the tyranny of needless disease. 

Sentimentalism is folly and weakness. But true senti- 
ment,—feeling for others,—is the greatest forward force 
in the world. 


IOI 


WORSHIP 


And it shall come to pass that from one new moon to 
another, and from one sabbath to another, shall all flesh 
come to worship before me, saith Jehovah.—l\saiah 


66: 23. 


The need of acknowledging God over all and particu- 
larly the need of performing acts of worship in common 
with other people is a fundamental human need. ‘The 
fact that large numbers of people constantly neglect it 
in no way proves that it is a superfluous gesture. A 
great many people have always insisted on their right to 
do things that are essentially bad for them, and to 
neglect certain things which are connected with their 
well-being. “The mere existence or non-existence of any 
social custom has little to do with its ultimate desirability. 

‘The act of public worship in one form or another is 
vital to the social and personal life of men. 

Each man needs to escape from the fragmentary nature 
of his own life into the universal realm which the wor- 
ship of God reveals. 

Furthermore, each man needs to look upon his fellow- 
men not as competitors or rivals but as men who have 
their place in God’s providence as well as he. 

The worship of God with its emphasis on the value of 
each soul and with its all-embracing view of the universe 
both encourages the individual to do his part in the 
world and makes him see his fellows in their right light. 

Are you neglecting one of the fundamental needs of 
your life by failing to join in the public worship of God? 


102 


WORK 


My Father worketh even until now, and I work.— 
John 5:17. 


Work is probably one of the chief blessings of man- 
kind. Jesus declares that it is a characteristic of God 
and of Himself. Consequently it must always be among 
the virtues inculcated by Christianity. 

Vulgar people think that the mark of being a lady or 
gentleman is avoidance of work and so they attempt to 
attain the desired rank by not working. ‘The logic is 
false and the morality is execrable. 

Many people also make the error of thinking that 
work, to be worthy of the name, must be disagreeable. 
Especially will they regard reproachfully anyone who 
seems to be enjoying his own labours. If a man likes to 
work, they think he must be loafing, and by the same 
inaccurate reasoning, they often identify sulking about a 
job with working at it. 

Work, the actual exercise of whatever talents we e may 
have, is not the only expression of sound life, but it is 
one of the most important. It is one of the high spots 
in the life of the growing youth, when he discovers that 
he has a contribution to make to the world’s work. 
Work is the balance wheel of life both for the able- 
bodied and also, tempered according to capacity, for 
handicapped people, 


103 


THE NECESSITY OF WONDER 
That ye may marvel—John 5: 20. 


The state of wonder is a condition of mind most vital 
to human beings. The man who never marvels is a dull 
clod at best. He is missing one of the great joys of 
existence. He shows himself unfitted for life in this 
universe. 

All normal children are full of wonder. But many 
adults allow that freshness of mind to wear off. I have 
often thought that this was one of the particular things 
that Jesus had reference to when He said: ‘‘ Except ye 
turn and become as little children ye shall in no wise 
enter the kingdom of God.’ He was setting the stamp 
of His disapproval on that hard, bitter frame of mind 
that looks on life as a mechanical process without room 
for the exultation of wonder. 

After all, the childlike attitude of delighted awe is 
characteristic of all really great men. ‘The musician, 
the poet, the artist, is always coming to an unexpected 
cry of wonder. I shall never forget the thrill in the 
voice of Professor J. Arthur Thompson, when in a recent 
lecture he paused and said with impressive simplicity: 
“A feather is one of the most perfect things in nature.” 
There was a world of wonder in his whole tone and 
attitude. He was a child crying out with delight before 
the marvels of God’s universe. 

Perhaps if we all wondered a little more we would 
do a lot less complaining. 


104 


READY MISINFORMATION 


The lips of a fool will swallow up himself.—Ecclesi- 
astes 10: 12. 


I stood on the hurricane deck of a steamer sailing out 
of Boston Harbour one lovely summer evening, watching 
the graceful manceuvres of a little band of terns over the 
opalescent waters. “Wo men came noisily out on deck 
near me. One promptly pointed out the birds to the 
other, and in a loud and emphatic voice (evidently for 
my benefit as well as his companion’s), remarked with an 
air of great knowledge: “Those are what they call 
chickadees.” 

From this he turned to deliver himself jauntily of 
various other pieces of misinformation. But I fled to a 
remote spot to smoke my pipe and meditate on human 
nature’s irrepressible desire to declaim on all subjects 
regardless of qualifications for speaking. 

We all do it, don’t we? Rather than keep silent and 
humbly enjoy beauty or grace, regardless of our qualifi- 
cations for commenting on it we prefer to disclose what 
we are pleased to consider our knowledge. Especially if 
we think our listeners are less instructed than ourselves 
are we apt to hold forth with confidence on subjects 
quite beyond our reach. Unhappily this habit appears 
not only in conversation but in lectures, books and 
sermons. 

Quite aside from the irreparable damage a man per- 
forms in trying to appear wiser than he is, he runs the 
risk of meeting somebody who knows, where he only 
proclaims. 

Sooner or later the fool swallows up himself. 


/ 


105 


THE WEAK BROTHER AS BULLY 


Blessed is he that considereth the weak.—Psalm 
41:1 (Margin). 


‘The problem of the weak brother is a most serious 
issue to the man who remembers that the strong ought to 
bear the infirmities of the weak and not to please 
themselves. 

Always bearing this profound Christian truth in mind 
I want to draw your attention to a much overlooked 
aspect of the problem. 

Oftentimes his very weakness makes the weak brother 
a bully. He wants the world run for his benefit. 

Many a minister is devoured body and soul by weak 
brothers and sisters. (Not that any decent minister ob- 
jects to being devoured, provided it does any real good.) 
And how pathetic is the life of many a faithful daughter 
of a household because of some weak bully who battens 
like a parasite on her grace. 

Yes, all those who have strength ought to bear the in- 
firmities of the weak; but not so as to encourage weak- 
ness. And how much of the sickness of the world is 
just cherished weakness. It is so agreeable to be cared 
for. We all have a touch of that love of ease. But do 
we really help the weak by letting them handicap the 
strong? 

Perhaps you think that is harsh, even cruel? Listen: 
One of the most gallant and gracious spirits I have ever 
known lay long years on a bed of pain; but she carried 
many in her heart, and fed even the able-bodied with the 
bread and water of life. 


106 


WASTING OR SPENDING? 


He wasted his substance with riotous living.—Luke 
VS2T3. 

I will most gladly spend and be spent for your souls. 
—II Corinthians 12:15. 


There are three things a man can do with himself and 
his possessions. He may selfishly hoard them; he may 
lavishly waste them; he may intelligently spend them. 

There can be no question as to which method religion 
calls on every man to follow. 

The temporary nature of earthly strength and riches 
is plain to all men who think. 

What, then, shall a man do with that portion of life 
and possessions which falls into his hands? 

If he tries to hoard it he only fixes his attention on the 
sure day when he shall lose it all—without profit to him- 
self or others. For the miser is one of the most wretched 
of men. 

If he dissipates it in riotous living he shall speedily 
find himself (aided and abetted by various sorts of 
human harpies) in bitter want of even the humblest 
necessities of life. 

Only if he spends it freely and gladly for the pur- 
poses of his soul may he experience the full meaning of 
life and say at the end: 


Glad did I live and gladly die, 


And I laid me down with a will.” 


For of what value is strength of mind or body, or 
what is the significance of worldly possessions save as 
they are spent for the release of spiritual powers? 


107 


HUMDRUM DUTIES 


As his share is that goeth down to the battle, so shall 
his share be that tarrieth by the baggage—I1 Samuel 
30: 24. | 


David had a little army of six hundred men to fight 
the Philistines. But when he came to the brook Besor, 
two hundred of his followers were so worn out and faint 
that they could not go over, so they were left behind to 
take care of the baggage, while the others went on to do 
the fighting and win the victory. 

Then those who had been in the front of the battle 
claimed all the spoil. But David said, “‘ No! ‘Those 
who guarded our stuff while we were fighting shall have 
an equal share. ‘They earned the victory as much as 
we did.” 

How many tasks and duties there are in life which 
seem dull and monotonous, yet which are as vital and 
indispensable as the more daring and romantic adven- 
tures! They are humdrum, perhaps, but they are worthy 
of all honour. 

‘The devoted mother, the good and faithful servant, 
the patient teacher, the kind nurse, the steady toiler, the 
loyal guardian of a trust,—these also are heroes. ‘They 
shall not be forgotten when the Great King distributes 
His rewards. 7 

Remember what the blind poet, John Milton, wrote: 
“They also serve who only stand and wait.” 


108 


ISOLATED IDEALS 
... Like a wild ass alone by himself —Hosea 8: 9. 


Nothing is more perilous than an unrelated ideal. It 
is responsible for the abundant crop of lop-sided special- 
ists who have no conception of the relationship of their 
speciality to life as a whole, and for the flood of furious 
fanatics who race through the land. Each of them has 
usually a noble ideal which he sponsors, but he has for- 
gotten that an ideal taken out of its living environment 
bears litthe resemblance to an ideal in actual life. It’s all 
very well to study museum specimens in separate cases, 
but you don’t deal with them that way in the field. 

Much is made today of the ideal of personal liberty. 
But unless that noble ideal is rightly related to the ideal 
of service it leads only to trouble. What do these per- 
sonal liberty howlers know about freedom? ‘They have 
isolated an ideal and thereby destroyed it. 

‘Take again the ideal of faith. We are told that we 
are saved by our faith. But separate faith from good 
works and what have you got? An unsupported decla- 
ration, an ideal that soon degenerates into intellectual 
quibbling. 

The world suffers today from the dominance of iso- 
lated ideals. We must learn to use ideals in their living 
relationships. 

As Emerson put it: 


“‘ All are needed by each one; 
Nothing is fair or good alone.” 


109 


SELF-COM PLACENCY 


They themselves, measuring themselves by themselves, 
and comparing themselves with themselves, are without 
understanding.—IJ Corinthians 10: 12. 


The only really unbearable man in the world is not 
the egotist. A good honest egotist is infinitely superior 
to Uriah Heep. ‘The unbearable man is the self- 
complacent man. ‘The egotist talks some about what he 
has done, but still more about what he is going to do. 
The self-complacent man is well-content with what he 
is. I can see his carefully pursed lips and his sickeningly 
sleek deportment. 

He has Arrived. And he gives you the fearful im- 
pression that he believes that all progress ends in him. 

Inevitably your spirit revolts against the terrible 
thought, and you long to run riot in so asininely solemn 
and inadequate a world. 

Egotism is understandable and even commendable 
where it represents high personal concentration on the 
matter in hand. But self-complacency is the invariable 
refuge of small men; the puny attempt to start a reputa- 
tion by neglecting the canons of good judgment. 

If you want to be thoroughly despised, if you want to 
cut the nerve of all achievement, try being satisfied with 
yourself, 

And if a self-complacent individual is essentially ridic- 
ulous what shall be said of those little bands of innately 
morally superior beings, those “ little groups of serious 
thinkers ”’ who view the common herd from afar? 

Truly all the self-complacent are, as Paul contempt- 
uously says, “ without understanding,” 


SELF-DENIAL 
He must increase, but I must decrease.—John 3: 30. 


It is too readily assumed among certain thinkers and 
writers that life is largely a battle between youth and 
age, between those who are in office to retain their offices 
and those who are outside to gain them. 

That may be true of a small number of vociferous 
persons, but it is far from expressing the real heart of 
humanity. Anyone who has had experience with men in 
various walks of life is greatly impressed with the readi- 
ness with which most older men make way for their 
younger brethren. ‘This is of course most noticeable in 
those careers which have for their object genuine service 
to mankind. For the truth is obvious that no serviceable 
career can be conducted in solitary state and it is equally 
obvious that provision must be made for its permanent 
continuance beyond the limits of one life. 

The record of the relationship between Jesus and 
John the Baptist, His forerunner, is a lovely illustration 
of this. 

Of no one did Jesus speak in higher terms than of 
John; nor is there a more beautiful story of self- 
abnegation in all history than John’s graceful gesture as 
he merged his career with that of his Lord and Master 
and withdrew his rugged personality from the centre of 
the stage. 

Many a man has reason to thank God for the unex- 
pected graciousness with which his poor efforts are re- 
ceived, and for the kindliness with which men of power 
and influence open up a way in which he may walk. 

Self-denial may not be a virtue native to human 
nature, but it is acquired more frequently than some 
men think, 


SELF-FORGETFULNESS 


Whosoever shall seek to gain his life shall lose it: but 
whosoever shall lose his life shall preserve it.—Luke 


17 \*\5.3% 


A young woman, who recently graduated from college, 
was making a name for herself in her chosen career. Of 
course she was promptly interviewed by an enterprising 
reporter, who asked: ‘‘ What is the secret of your suc- 
cess?’ Her answer contains a great truth: “ Really,” 
she exclaimed, “I never take time to think about 
myself,” 

So absorbed was she in what she was doing that she 
had no time for crippling introspection. With her atten- 
tion centred whole-heartedly on her objective, she herself 
was lost in her work. 

‘That young woman had found the way of accomplish- 
ment, of self-realization. 

Somehow we must break away from ourselves. We 
must get such a hold on life that our little selves are 
lifted out of self-consciousness and made free and great 
in self-oblivion. 

‘The common error is to reserve this spiritual law for 
times of crises; whereas the truth is that it applies to the 
whole of life. 

Just recall the times when you have been both happy 
and useful. Were they not times when, with a genuine 
disregard of yourself, you poured out your capacities in a 
worthy cause? 

Is there any reason why it should not be your regular 
practice instead of an occasional performance? 


II2 


SELF-GLORIFICATION 


He did according to his will, and magnified him- 
self. —Daniel 8: 4. 


A popular occupation of our day is magnifying our- 
selves. It is a sort of endeavour to create an atmos- 
phere of self-respect which we do not feel by talking 
about our jobs and ourselves in resounding terms. 

For example, the other day I saw a poster in a win- 
dow. It showed a stalwart and handsome young man in 
overalls with a wrench in his hand, and bore in large 
letters the inscription: “‘ The Plumber Protects the 
Health of the Nation.” 

Well, the only trouble with that sign, so far as I was 
concerned, was that it promptly reminded me of a 
plumber who endangered the health of a houseful of 
people because, as I had the disagreeable task of pointing 
out to him, he ran the drain-pipe from the kitchen sink 
uphill. 

A good plumber protects the health of the nation,— 
O yes, but this business of sweeping up the good, bad, 
and indifferent workers in any calling and praising them 
in the mass is sheer bunk. 

Every honourable calling has its opportunities of 
service. But to magnify the job apart from the qualifica- 
tions of the workman only lends comfort to the pride of 
slackers and shirkers and renders them intolerable to 
their honest fellow-workmen. 

Besides, it’s a lie of the most subtle kind. 


113 


SELF-RESPECT OR SELF-PITY? 


Thou, when thou fastest, anoint thy head, and wash 
thy face; that thou be not seen of men to fast, but of thy 
Father who is in secret-—Matthew 6: 17-18. 


Astonishing as it may seem to some of us, it Is none 
the less true that some things are not fit subjects for 
publicity. 

Among the most notable of such things are your own 
troubles. 

And yet how common is the sin of representing our- 
self as an object of pity. How often we go around col- 
lecting sympathy in the most brazen manner, pouring out 
our troubles wherever we can get a listening ear, and in 
general adding appreciably to the world’s stock of 
SOrrows. 

Descending from a mountain-top one summer after- 
noon, I found myself on the shores of a lovely lake. In 
a boat nearby sat an old man fishing. By and by, in the 
manner of persons meeting in the woods (and the fish 
being apparently otherwise engaged), he rowed over to 
where I squatted on a rock by the shore. We lit our 
pipes and entered into desultory conversation. I sup- 
pose something in my manner betrayed the wonder in 
my mind that so old a man should be out on this lonely 
lake alone, for, fixing me with a quizzical look, he ex- 
plained: “I’m too old to be much use, but anyhow I 
calculate not to make trouble for people’’”—and then 
with flashing eyes—‘‘ At least I’m never going to be an 
object of pity to anyone.” 

Wasn’t the old man right? 


114 


, a 


Pa 


Melss® pees d Aytihe 
= 4 ae’ 2 = 


SELR:AMASTERY), a okt 


Bahay h tte : IS NS ay PP 
He whose spirit is without restraint Chek Core, 


Is like a city that is broken down and without walls. 
—Proverbs 25: 28. 


We hear a great outcry in these days against the mul- 
tiplicity of laws with which most men claim they are 
needlessly burdened. But we do not perceive enough 
recognition of the only alternative to increasing legisla- 
tion,—that is increasing of self-mastery. 

We sometimes forget the important fact that legis- 
lators also are men and must remain subject to the laws 
they enact. With the exception of a few men who are 
afflicted with what has been described as legimania most 
legislators are only trying to make laws for the protec- 
tion of public rights. As long as we have large numbers 
of citizens who accept no restraint on their personal lib- 
erty except that which is enforced by law, the number 
of laws must go on multiplying. 

The one security against the sense of being gagged 
and bound hand and foot in our increasingly complex 
civilization lies in the development of self-mastery among 
our citizens. Where there are unjust laws the business 
of good citizens is to agitate for their repeal; and doubt- 
less there is room for some improvement here. But isn’t 
it about time that we abandoned this negatively grum- 
bling attitude about laws that interfere with our precious 
personalities and recognize that lots of the trouble origi- 
nates in the fact that we lack self-mastery ? 


115 


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wo fs £ pe ‘ 
Ae we ise Me 2&2 
ya eee wh RE AeA, ¢ taf 


Bs ak We 
Yorke, GH ar daha. 


FOREIGN WIVES 


All these had taken foreign wives, and some of them 
had wives by whom they had children—Ezra 10: 44. 


Here is a curious case. The Jews of the Captivity, 
returning, by permission of the great King Cyrus, to 
restore their homeland and rebuild Jerusalem, were 
mainly men. Quite naturally they fell in love with the 
women of the land in which they were working, and 
married them, and had children by them. ‘This was con- 
trary to the ancient tradition that the Jews must be a 
nation set apart, a peculiar people. So Ezra commanded 
that all these foreign marriages should be annulled. It 
was probably the biggest divorce decree on record. 

As a national policy it may have been prudent. But 
what I want to know is, what became of the wives who 
had married in good faith, and the children who had 
been born without being consulted? Would Christ have 
approved this casting off of the innocent? 

Race purity is a fine thing. It is best to marry one of 
your own kind. But it is better still to keep your prom- 
ises and to meet your responsibilities towards women and 
children like a man of honour. 

Can you correct a mistake by committing an injustice? 


116 


THE STRUGGLES OF THE SOUL 


My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?— 
Psalms 22: 1. 


There is, of course, a sense in which religion is the 
most simple and natural thing in the world. But to stop 
there, is to show oneself blind to the facts of human life 
and cruel to one’s fellow-men. 

Take the question of prayer. How sweet and true are 
the prayers of a child. How naturally he trusts, how 
simply he speaks! But how hard a man must struggle to 
attain that childish state! Countless things in himself 
and in the world about him as he sees it rise up to 
interfere. 

Lowell expressed the difficulty when he wrote: 


“T, that still pray at morning and at eve,... 
Thrice in my life perhaps have truly prayed, 
Thrice, stirred below my conscious self, have felt 
That perfect disenthrallment which is God.” 


We need to practice a continual discipline of the soul 
lest we fall into the futility of identifying religion with 
external observances. 


“That drony vacuum of compulsory prayer, 
Still pumping phrases for the Ineffable, 
Though all the valves of memory gasp and wheeze.” 


Prayer is simple and natural, but behind its expression 
lies the terrible conflict through which the soul is dis- 
ciplined to meet with God. 


117 


STATISTICS 


And Satan stood up against Israel, and moved David 
to number Israel—I Chronicles 21: 1. 


The taking of a census seems to us a most natural and 
right thing for a ruler to do. And probably the idea in 
the mind of the author of this narrative in describing 
David’s census of Israel as a sin is forever hidden from 
us as a matter of historical knowledge. And yet I think 
we may at least profitably speculate upon it. 

I imagine David looking for statistics to bolster up 
his faith in the progress of Israel. Instead of trusting in 
God he was beginning to calculate his own situation as 
a worldly ruler. 

Certainly that was a sin; and what is more, a sin that 
we are thoroughly competent to understand today be- 
cause most of us fall under it. 

Surely it is well that we should have statistics to indi- 
cate to us the places in which growth or loss is occurring. 

But may I not ask if it is not a real sin in religion to 
draw our conclusions from the things which may be ex- 
pressed in terms of statistics? Is a church progressing 
or failing simply in accordance with the rise or fall of 
the number of its members? Is the final proof of re- 
ligion to be found in arithmetic? Are the largest 
churches always the most powerful churches? Consider 
the contribution to spiritual life of the Quakers or the 
Waldensian Church of Italy! 

Can you express in terms of statistics the invincible 
fact of “one soul against the flesh of all mankind ”? 


118 


HELP FOR THE TEMPTED 


For in that he himself hath suffered being tempted, he 
is able to succour them that are tempted.—Hebrews 
2g te 


It is a curious thing how little even Christians realize 
the continuous temptations through which Jesus passed. 
We glance superficially at the formal account in the 
fourth chapters of Matthew and Luke and think that 
there is not much to it. We forget Jesus’ significant 
word to His disciples in the last week of His life: “ Ye 
are they that have continued with me in my tempta- 
tions.” Because we are too stupid to read between the 
lines of the swift-moving narratives of the Gospel, we 
overlook the constant assaults of temptations through 
which He came unscathed. 

Again, we fail to appreciate the reality of those tempta- 
tions because of preconceptions and prejudices concerning 
the nature of divinity, by which we set Him outside of 
the reach of real trial. 

Could anything be further from the plain witness of 
the Gospel? Surely the testimony is clear: Jesus stands 
with men in His subjection to temptation. He stands 
infinitely above us in His constant triumph over 
temptation. 

And therein lies His ability to help us in our tempta- 
tions. What a comfort to find, not only a companion 
in the terrible loneliness of temptation, but One who 
having Himself conquered, is able and willing to help us! 


119 


STANDING YOUR GROUND 


Be not dismayed at them, lest I dismay thee before 
them.—Jeremiah 1:17. 


The following story is told about Henry Ward 
Beecher as a boy: 

The teacher in the school he attended asked a boy a 
question which the boy answered. Apparently the 
teacher was much incensed at the answer and cried 
testily: Sit down! The abashed boy sat abruptly down. 
Several boys were asked the same question and gave the 
same answer and promptly became confused when the 
teacher voiced his unexplained disapproval. 

Finally Beecher was called and gave the same answer 
as the other boys. Sit down! roared the teacher. But 
Beecher held his ground and insisted that the answer 
was correct. For a few moments the teacher stormed at 
him, but seeing Beecher obdurate and convinced, he 
smiled and said: Well, boys, you were all correct, but 
Beecher was the only one sure enough to stand up for it. 

““ Let no one falter,” said Lincoln, ‘* who thinks he is 
right.” It is important not only to give the right answer 
but to stick to it through thick and thin. 

Many a true word has been lost through dismay at 
the opposition it aroused. 

The truth is not always kindly received; and we must 
learn to declare it even amid the hubbub of denunciation. 


I20 


THE KINGDOM OF THE SPIRIT 
I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh.—Joel 2: 28. 


Religion can never be a specialized department of life 
like engineering or chemistry where only the technically 
trained expert may speak with authority. Of course 
religion has its prophets, those who speak with peculiar 
authority, but they are! not primarily the product of 
technical training. ‘The schools of the prophets occa- 
sionally have a prophet pass through their hands and 
quite frequently they help him; but prophets also appear 
from nowhere. 

Religion is not a private domain reserved for people 
of any particular age or class or other human qualifica- 
tion. It belongs to each and all; and leadership in re- 
ligion belongs to those who, being called of God and 
possessing the capacities, answer the call and employ 
their capacities as He directs. 

In other words, religion is universal, but all religious 
men are not equally qualified for the same thing. ‘The 
outpouring of the spirit means different things for dif- 
ferent people. For some it means prophesying, for others 
the dreaming of dreams, for others the seeing of visions, 
-——and also for those whom the world inclines to overlook 
there shall be given an outpouring of the spirit. 

Religion is universal, but there are distinctions within 
the realm of the spirit. 


I2I 


LET IT DIE DOWN 


For lack of wood the fire goeth out; 
And where there is no whisper, contention ceaseth, 
—Proverbs 26: 20. 


The old saying is that “it takes two to make a quar- 
rel.” Let us add that it takes three to keep a quarrel 
alive. The third person is the “ Whisperer,’’ as Solomon 
calls him. 

This is the person who brings new fuel to the fire, 
and piles on false reports and rumours and malicious 
interpretations of perfectly simple words and actions. 
He fans the flame to keep it going for his own pleasure. 
He has no real interest in the contention, but he likes 
to watch the blaze and hear the sparks crackle. 

For the most part, when two human beings have a 
quarrel, after a while they grow tired of it and a little 
ashamed of it. Probably both of them have a dim idea 
that they were somewhat to blame for it. ‘They are 
quite willing to let it die down and expire, as it naturally 
will in the course of time. That is wise and wholesome. 

Then, when the Whisperer comes along with fresh 
fuel to revive the flame, let both parties join hands to 
throw him and his wood out onto the rubbish heap. 
That will make the reconciliation complete, 


122 


JUDGING MEN 


Ananias answered, Lord, I have heard from many of 
this man, how much evil he did. . . . But the Lord said 
unto him, Go thy way; for he is a chosen vessel unto 
me.—Acts 9: 13-15. 


Ananias was judging Paul by his common reputation. / 
Christ by His potentialities. That is the great difference ( 
between worldly and divine judgments. 

Which was right? 

Of course it is easier to condemn or approve a man 
merely on the basis of what he has done than take the 
trouble and exercise the insight necessary to perceive 
what he may yet be capable of doing. But is it fair to 
him, or even good sense? 

Suppose Paul had been judged by the Christian com- 
munity solely on his past performances, suppose Ananias 
and Barnabas had surrendered to the popular prejudice 
against Paul. ‘The Christian Church would have lost 
her greatest Apostle. “The whole course of world his- 
tory would have been changed. Possibly our land today 
would be a wilderness and we barbarians. 

‘Tremendous issues are always suspended on our judg- 
ments of our fellow-men. Until we learn to judge men 
on the basis of what they are and may become we shall 
be continually doing them an injustice and depriving 
mankind of noble service. 

Will you apply that to our usual treatment of men 
who have served terms in prison? Many a man has 
been helped to return to an evil career because he is 
judged by his past without regard to his present state and 
future possibilities. 

How would we like to have God judge us solely on 
our past conduct? 


123 


CRITICISM VERSUS GOSSIP 
He spake unadvisedly with his lips —Psalm 106: 33. 


a The story is told of a great musician who took his 
orchestra on tour, and during his travels received a note 
' from a well-meaning person in one of his audiences. 
This is what the note said: “I think it only fair to 
inform you that the man in your orchestra who blows 
the instrument that pulls in and out, only played during 
the brief intervals when you were looking at him.” 

How much of our comment on other people’s work is 
of that unintelligent character. If the eagerness and 
deadly seriousness of our comments were only matched 
by an equal intelligence and kindness, how much we 
could help one another. 

But no; we would rather say our say regardless of 
our qualifications for speaking. 

And how disgustingly we bedizen our meanness to 
make it appear as righteousness—like cabaret companions 
masquerading as lovers. No one is really deceived. 
There is only a conspiracy among those interested. 

The differences between criticism and gossip are ob- 
vious: the motive of criticism is improvement; of gossip, 
injury. Criticism is addressed, ultimately at least, to the 
person criticized; gossip, to his enemies. Criticism is 
responsible. Gossip is irresponsible. 

Which prevails in your conversation and communi- 
cation? 


124 


A e 
a i . 


COURAGEOUS LIVING AND DYING | 


Whether we live... or die, we are the Lord’s.— 
Romans 14: 8. 


From his birth, more than twenty years ago, crippled 
Johnny had lain helpless in his humble home. His 
mother, a worn but kindly little woman, who is janitor 
for several tenements, steadfastly refused the neigh- 
bour’s well-meant advice ‘‘ to put Johnny away.” Even 
when the father died or when the young brother, who 
had just begun to work steadily, met with a fatal acci- 
dent, still that indomitable mother was obdurate. “ No 
one will take care of him like me. If I drop in my 
tracks I’ll do it.” 

There was nothing for the neighbours to do but to 
help as they could. And help they did in the unobtrusive 
way that humble neighbours have. Now it’s a cream- 
puff which Johnny loved. Now it’s a little Christmas- 
tree with real lights on it or a lily-bulb which he watched 
with absorbed devotion develop into a perfect flower. 
Now it’s, “ I'll stay with the boy while you run over to 
church this morning.” And always the little sister when 
she came home from school would sit and read him 
stories from the Bible and other books. 

So the lad was dying in the early morning hours and 
his mother was beside him. “ Angel-face,”’ he whispered 
—that was his name for that careworn countenance— 
“go and sleep. I’m dying. ‘Tomorrow I'll rest, but 
you'll have to work. I can die alone. God will. help 
me.” 

But his mother stayed with him till the end. 


125 


“COSMIC PRIDE” 


The earth is full of the lovingkindness of Jehovah— 
Psalm 33: 5. 


Somewhere lately I have read this phrase, ‘ cosmic 
pride,” and it sticks in my mind. 

Pride may be good or bad according to its source. 
To be proud of yourself is a despicable emotion. But to 
be proud of your friends’ achievements is noble. 

The reason why pride usually connotes evil is because 
it is almost exclusively associated with fatuous self- 
esteem. And there are few more disgusting emotions 
than that. 

And yet there is such a thing as justified and worthy 
pride, especially when it is inclusive rather than 
exclusive. 

When a man performs an heroic deed we are all 
stirred with pride to be men to whom such deeds are 
possible. We need more pride of that sort. 

We need the emotion that makes us proud to be living 
souls in this magnificent universe. We need news from 
India and China and Europe and the islands of the seas 
that will stir us to cosmic pride—just as they need like 
news from us. 

And such news does come. And I venture to say there 
is no insuperable barrier against its coming increasingly 
until all small and local prides are smothered in the 
generous emotion of cosmic pride,—when all men shall 
perceive that the earth is full of the lovingkindness of 
Jehovah. 


126 


~ / f 


CLF 


EXTINGUISHING THE SPIRIT 
Quench not the Spirit—I Thessalonians 5: 19. 


The quality that distinguishes man as a moral being 
from all the animals is his ability to commune with God, 
the fact that the Holy Spirit may dwell in him. 

But the mere fact that man has in himself the possi- 
bility of being the peculiar abiding place of the Spirit is 
no guarantee that he is such. There is too much talk 
about this issue in the abstract and too little attention 
paid to the question of whether or no the Spirit is present 
in any particular man. 

The truth is that many of us defend the spiritual 
greatness of mankind by pointing to certain distinguished 
men and women, while so far as our own lives are con- 
cerned we are consciously or unconsciously extinguishing 
both the warmth and light of the Spirit. 

For there are just as many ways of quenching the 
Spirit as there are of spoiling a camp-fire. 

Obviously you can extinguish it by neglect, by failing 
to supply wood for burning, or by placing it wrongly for 
the flames to take hold, or by employing the wrong kind 
of wood—green for the beginning or dry for its 
continuance. 

And equally surely you can destroy any kind of fire 
by fussing over it. As soon as you have it laid one way 
change it to another before the flames have a chance. In 
a little while the baffled flame will retire in disgust with 
a puff of smoke. 

In like manner the Spirit in a man which is fussed 
over or neglected will go out, leaving the doleful spec- 
tacle of a lifeless hearth. 


127 


mom £, 


A FRIENDLY CORRECTION 


When Priscilla and Aquila heard him, they took him 
unto them, and expounded unto him the way of God 
more accurately.—Acts 18: 26. 


It is the easiest thing in the world for the man whose 
life-work calls on him for constant speaking with author- 
ity to be utterly unconscious of certain gaps in his knowl- 
edge. Particularly is this true of the teacher, preacher 
or newspaper editor. Happy is such a man who has 
friends like that lovely couple, Aquila and Priscilla. 

When they found something missing in the knowledge 
‘of that brilliant and eloquent preacher Apollos “ they 
expounded unto him the way of God more accurately.” 
But, mark you, how they did it. “‘ They took him unto 
them.” No public ridicule; no endeavour to “‘ show up ” 
the ignorance of the young and enthusiastic preacher. 
“They took him unto them.” 

Let your imagination play on the scene. I can see 
that devout and kindly husband and wife inviting the 
preacher to supper and launching out into a private and 
friendly conversation which was to make still more clear 
to him the way of God. It is a beautiful picture and 
one that lingers in the memory. 

It reminds us how easy it is for a busy man to have 
incomplete knowledge even of his own particular sub- 
ject; and how dependent each man is on other people 
for full and balanced knowledge; and finally it affords 
a lovely instance of a delicate and kindly way of impart- 
ing new knowledge. 

How much more effective corrections are when given 
in that manner! 


128 


CONVICTIONS AND ENVIRONMENT 


After the doings of the land of Egypt, wherein ye 
dwelt, ye shall not do: and after the doings of the land 
of Canaan, whither I bring you, ye shall not dow... 
Mine ordinances shall ye do.—Leviticus 18: 3-4. 


One of the most pitiful weaknesses of men is our in- 
clination to fall in with the customs with which we find 
ourselves surrounded. It always requires effort to op- 
pose environment, and often it demands real courage. 

It is so much easier to go with the current than to 
fight it. Usually it is less painful to still the protest of 
conscience (especially if we do it habitually) than it is to 
stand alone or with two or three against established 
custom. 

Look how quickly even “nice people” let go of 
their principles when they find themselves in strange 
surroundings. 

In truth there can be no greater trial of conviction 
than is to be found in an environment which lends it 
no support. 

And yet to decide by inward conviction and not by 
outward circumstance is the very thing that as religious 
men and women we are called to do. 

In this age we are constantly finding ourselves in such 
trials. Very few communities are entirely homogeneous, 
particularly in regard to religious observances. And 
how few there are who under these conditions stand 
fast by their convictions. 

No wonder that strong personal religion is a rare and 
_highly treasured thing. For its very foundation stone is 
unwavering loyalty to God’s voice in the soul without 
regard to environment. 


129 


iw. * 


THE SCORN OF CONSEQUENCES 


If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver 
us from the burning fiery furnace; and he will deliver us 
out of thy hand, O king. But if not, be it known unto 
thee, O king, that we will not serve thy gods, nor wor- 
ship the golden image which thou hast set up—Daniel 
3:17-18. 


This statement of the three men ordered to conform 
against their consciences to Nebuchadnezzar’s decree, is 
a perfect illustration of the attitude of faith. They 
hoped, even expected that God would save them from 
the fiery furnace with which they were threatened; but 
their devotion to God was not dependent upon the ful- 
filment of that hope. Even before the event, they had 
considered the possibility that their hope would be 
thwarted and had put themselves on record as refusing 
to conform to the king’s order under any conditions. 

It was a bold whole-hearted decision, made in the 
absolute realm of the spirit without regard to the out- 
come in worldly affairs. 

We need more decisions of that sort today. It is so 
hard to have confidence in leaders who always have their 
ears to the ground to find out what will be the effect of 
any course of action, before they adopt it! It is so hard 
to trust teachers who never say anything which does not 
receive popular applause! 

In every realm of activity, we need men who will act, 
not on the basis of what consequences for themselves may 
be involved, but on the basis of unshakable religious 
conviction, 


130 


AN EVIL CONSCIENCE a A 


The wicked flee when no man pursueth; 
But the righteous are bold as a lion. 
—Proverbs 28: 1. 


An evil conscience is a terrible companion. It trans- 
forms every shadow into a lurking peril; it multiplies 
every sound into the footsteps of an avenger. The man 
who has violated his conscience is continually in a panic. 
The wicked man knows that the universe is against him, 
and he is always on the watch lest he be undone. He 
dare not put his trust anywhere save in himself. He 
must be ever on the alert and often he finds himself in 
flight before his own conscience from which he can never 
altogether escape. 

On the other hand, nothing gives boldness to a man 
like the knowledge that he is right. The safety of the 
good man depends, not upon escape, but upon standing 
his ground and raising a banner for the rallying of the 
forces of righteousness. 

Before a man starts in on the desperate game of plot- 
ting evil in a world planned by God for the organization 
of righteousness, let him recall his boyhood experiences. 
Let him remember the horror that dogged his steps when 
he crept into his home in silence and darkness after an 
evening of deliberate evil. How terrible was the moon, 
like an awful eye of God looking in his window! And 
the next day, how he started if some one spoke to him 
unexpectedly! And how killing was the kindness of his 
mother who thought he looked a trifle pale and might 
have caught cold! 

No; these are not illusions. “They are the evidences 
that an evil conscience is the one enemy that can 
injure man. 


131 


CONCENTRATION AND SELF-CONTROL 


Every man that striveth in the games exerciseth self- 
control in all things. Now they do it to receive a cor- 
ruptible crown; but we an incorruptible.—Il Corinthians 


9225. 


If one may judge by his references to them in his 
letters, the Apostle Paul was a great admirer of the ath- 
letes who took part in the running, boxing and wrestling 
contests of his day. 

What accounts for the tremendous interest of this 
spiritually-minded man in these pagan athletes? 

Is it not to be found in their single-hearted concen- 
tration on their objectives and the self-control which 
they exercised in seeking to attain them? 

Paul saw the supreme importance of these qualities 
and only regretted that while men showed such noble 
zeal to win a corruptible crown, they were unwilling to 
exercise themselves similarly for the incorruptible crown 
of life. 

There is an element of great pathos in his words. He 
utters generous tribute to that fine body of young men 
who, with attention riveted on the wreath which was the 
victor’s award, went through ten months of hard train- 
ing (according to regulations) and, even further, ‘“ exer- 
cised self-control in all things.” But he cannot overlook 
the incompleteness of these physical and mental speci- 
mens, nor forget the dissipated nature of Corinthian life. 

Concentration on the goal and self-mastery as the 
means of getting there are vital to spiritual achievement. 

Is it not evident that much of our spiritual futility is 
due to our distracted attention and consequent unwil- 
lingness to exercise self-control ? 


132 


THE FOLLY OF CONCEIT 
Great swelling words of vanity.—II Peter 2: 18. 


Vanity (which in its derivation means emptiness and 
unreality) is one of the most corrosive elements that ever 
get into the metal of life. 

It takes perfectly good specimens of men and women 
and turns them into hollow shams. It makes us trifle 
with seeming rather than deal with reality. It makes 
life a welter of confusion, and consumes more energy 
than is required to do many noble deeds. 

The famous William Carey, in one of the stories he 
translated out of the Indian dialects, offers us an amus- 
ing commentary on vanity. 

He tells of a frog who while crossing a road was ter- 
rified by the approach of an elephant. “Trembling, he 
hid till the great animal passed by, and then, hearing 
some one say on looking at the tracks: “‘ How huge 
an elephant must have gone this way,” he hopped out 
and said: “We quadrupeds are wont to leave such 
footprints.” 

How true to life that is! 

Vanity always consists in claiming for ourselves some- 
thing we haven’t got. 

How ridiculous is the uncovering of conceit! 

And how exquisite is the discovery of true worth and 
its unadvertised enjoyment! 


133 


IMMORTALITY 


Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection and the 


life-—John 11:25. 


One reason for our confusion in thinking about im- 
_ mortality is due to two fundamental errors in approach- 
ing the subject. 

In the first place we think of it as indefinite extension 
in time. And naturally the mind staggers aghast from 
the awful contemplation of years without number like 
the grains of sand on the beach. ‘There is nothing spiri- 
tual about that crassly material conception. 

It is not mere quantity of life measured in terms of 
extent that the soul needs. It is rather a quality of life. 

Again we think of immortality as permanence of con- 
dition, and we develop astonishingly grotesque ideas of 
a future life. From these conceptions most thoughtful 
souls revolt: 


“‘ She desires no isles of the blest, no quiet seats of 
the just, 

To rest in a golden grave, or to bask in a sum- 
mer sky; 

Give her the wages of going on, and not to die.” 


What we need is that which is at the heart of Jesus’ 
teaching and personal witness: the indestructibility of 
the soul for the sake of its own perfection and growth, 
and for the infinite value of its relationships with other 
spiritual beings like ourselves, and especially with God. 

Concerning this vital knowledge we can learn nothing 
by the silly game of spiritual peeping and prying. We 
must turn simply to Him who is the way, the truth, and 
the life. 


134 


CONCEALING DIFFICULTIES 


When ye fast, be not, as the hypocrites, of a sad 
countenance: for they disfigure their faces, that they may 
be seen of men to fast-—Matthew 6: 16. 


Most people like to have their activities noticed by 
other people. Nor can I find anything wrong in that 
liking. ‘The orator desires his words to be heard; the 
painter wishes to have his pictures regarded; the host 
delights in the happiness of his guests. “The man who 
doesn’t care whether his doings are appreciated is a 
queer, unsocial fellow, to say the least. 

But there is an attitude abroad which is the very re- 
verse of this wholesome and natural concern in other 
people’s interest in our work. I mean the sentimental 
attitude of drawing the world’s attention to all the diff- 
culties through which we have had to pass in achieving 
our results. 

There is no call to advertise our fastings and tribula- 
tions. Let the finished product speak for itself. Why 
all this laborious explaining of processes, this empha- 
sizing of difficulties? What has become of the true 
artistic instinct of concealing the pains and letting the 
glory of the achievement be its own witness? 

Does any full-grown human being need to be told that 
every worthy accomplishment requires sacrifice and fast- 
ing? Can we not rid ourselves of reducing life to a 
publicity problem? 

Where is the man of whom it can be said: 


*‘ His action won such reverence sweet, 
As hid all measure of the feat ” ? 


135 


SOCIAL JUSTICE 
I. CHARITY 


Your abundance being a supply at this present time 
for their want.—II Corinthians 8: 14. 


There can be no question but that charity is an im- 
portant virtue in a world where some men have more 
than enough and others are in want. No one can have 
much experience of the world without perceiving both 
the need for charity and the moral obligations to prac- 
tise it. 

In our days charity is highly organized and some of 
the ablest people are engaged in the difficult task of 
administering it. 

And there are very few people who are not in some 
degree concerned in the giving of charity. But right 
there is one of the great difficulties. Comparatively few 
people give with any distinct purpose in view. For 
many people charity consists in giving away some small 
portion of surplus after they have spent all they wish on 
themselves. By some charity is only practised for the 
selfish purpose of satisfying their own benevolent feelings. 

One hears it said that ten per cent of one’s income 
should be given away. Our income tax law provides for 
exemption from taxation of fifteen per cent given to 
charitable purposes. But these are only endeavours to 
regularize from the side of giving and not on the basis 
of need. 

Christian charity must steer a careful course between 
pauperization of its recipients and mere selfish gratifica- 
tion of its donors. It must be based on willingness to 
make sacrifices and a sympathetic respect for all men. 


136 


SOCIAL JUSTICE 
II. STEWARDSHIP 


Who then is the faithful and wise steward?—Luke 
12: 42. 


‘The injunction to give a portion of our possessions for 
the benefit of those who are in need is far from being the 
last word that religion speaks on social justice. We are 
called to a higher obligation than charity. 

There are, of course, those who claim that when 
religion teaches the secondary virtue of charity it has 
nothing further to say about a man’s possessions. But 
any man who thinks seriously on the issue knows that our 
responsibility does not end with what we give away. 
The question of how we spend what we keep for our- 
selves must also be faced. 

And here the magnificent obligation of stewardship 
arises in the mind of every thoughtful man. It will not 
do to divide our possessions into two heaps—even if those 
heaps be equal in size—and say: This is for God; and 
this is for myself. Both heaps belong to God, and both 
must be administered for Him. In the expenditure of 
both must run the same purpose of service to Him. 

No doubt this is a far harder thing than the mere 
giving of a certain per cent of our possessions to worthy 
causes. But there can be no question but that it is the 
only condition on which genuine moral integrity is pos- 
sible for a thinking man. 

Let each man ask himself: Do all my expenditures, 
personal and charitable, represent the administration of 
a trust fund given into my hands by God? 


137 


SOCIAL JUSTICE 
Ill. MAKING MONEY 


To do righteousness and justice 
Is more acceptable to Jehovah than sacrifice. 
—Proverbs 21: 3. 


Behind the issues of charity and stewardship there is 
still a further question for the religious man to face. 
For charity and stewardship deal only with the adminis- 
tration of possessions already in hand. And behind the 
obligation of faithful expenditure and generous giving is 
the question: How do we earn or obtain our possessions ? 

If a man is making money in ways that involve social 
injustice can he in any way be called religious if he 
administers it well? 

This is not the secondary issue of “‘ tainted money.” 
It is the profound issue of religion’s concern with social 
justice. 

If we are to be religious in a sense that has any real 
significance we must be as much concerned over the man- 
ner in which we obtain money as over the way in which 
we expend it. Let any man who is in doubt on this issue 
re-read his Bible, especially the prophets, the Gospels and 
the Epistle of James. 

It is so much easier to be “‘ generous’ after we become 
rich than to let the chance to make money go by because 
it may involve social injustice. And yet the logic of the 
facts forces us back step by step to face this great 
obligation. 

And until we go the full length and deal not only with 
the giving and spending of money but with the earning 
of it religion is only scratching the surface of our lives. 


138 


A HEART OF COMPASSION 


Put on therefore, as God’s elect, holy and beloved, a 
heart of compassion.—Colossians 3: 12. 


There is a beauty in words, as real as the beauty of 
things. It does not come to us through sight, but 
through the inward vision of their meaning and the finer 
sense of their associations. 

Compassion means something more than pity, and 
therefore it is more beautiful. It means not merely 
being sorry for people in trouble, but being sorry with 
them. It implies a sharing the grief and distress of 
others. 

It is said of Christ that when the leper came to him 
for healing, ‘‘ being moved with compassion, he stretched 
forth his hand and touched him,” and he was cleansed. 
Again, when the crowd of people has followed Him into 
the wilderness, weary and hungry, Jesus says, “I have 
compassion on the multitude.” Again, He was “‘ moved 
with compassion ”’ when the two blind men cried to Him, 
** Lord, that our eyes may be opened.” Again, when He 
met the widow of Nain mourning for the death of her 
only son, Jesus “ had compassion on her ” and said unto 
her ‘“‘ Weep not.” Again, as He went about the cities 
and villages healing the sick and the afflicted, ‘‘ when he 
saw the multitudes he was moved with compassion for 
them, because they were distressed and scattered, as sheep 
not having a shepherd.” 

It is a heavenly quality. God Himself is full of com- 
passion. No one else in the world is more sorry with us 
in our sickness and suffering than He is. It was to show 
us this that Christ came. 

To have a heart of compassion is to grow into the 
divine likeness. 


139 


THE UNCHANGEABLE CHRIST 


Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today, yea and 
forever.—Hebrews 13: 8. 


Variety, the old proverb says, is the spice of life. 

It is a good proverb but it avails only in the realm of 
secondary things, for nobody expects to live on spices. 

The more deeply we reflect on life the more insistent 
becomes the need for something unchangeable. All of 
us dwell continually amid the natural changes of the 
inner man. Most of us pass through many changes in 
outward condition during our lifetime. And even when 
those changes are few they do not reveal the stability for 
which our heart really seeks. 

What we need with an agony of longing that cannot 
be uttered is the confidence that behind the outward phe- 
nomena of life there is a spiritual reality which is for- 
ever the same. Philosophy may increase its power to 
enfold the universe in its understanding. Science may 
advance victoriously into as yet unknown realms. But 
goodness will be forever the same. 

How do we dare hold such a faith which alone gives 
unity to our life and binds in a beloved brotherhood the 
honest men of every age? 

Is it not by looking unto Jesus Christ who is the same 
yesterday, today and forever? No matter from what 
racial background or through what philosophy He has 
been viewed He remains always the same. 

Amid the ebb and flow of thought and knowledge, the 
flux and uncertainty of life, He is the one sure resting 
place of the soul in its instinct for permanency. 


140 


THE SECOND LOOK 


Depart from me; for I am a sinful man, O Lord. 
. . « they left all, and followed him.—Luke 5: 8, 11. 


There is always a crisis when a mature human being 
first comprehendingly meets Christ as a living person- 
ality. “he contrast between a man and the divine Son 
of God is overwhelming. Power and holiness stand out 
against feebleness and sinfulness. We are filled with 
awe and shamed with the knowledge of personal un- 
worthiness. “The memory of our sins rebukes us. Our 
thwarted and neglected and denied aspirations are re- 
called. We are smothered in anger and grief. And our 
first inclination is to be rid somehow of this disquieting 
Presence. In natural human agony, we cry, “ Depart 
from us for we are sinful men, O Lord.” All the depths 
of our souls are shaken and our first-prayer is to be rid 
of the horror it brings. 

But there is a world of difference between the first 
and second looking at Christ. ‘The first repels by the 
grandeur and holiness it reveals. “The second draws by 
persuasion and attraction. It is the same Christ—but 
more fully comprehended in His purpose of salvation. 

The trouble with many of us is that we stop at the 
first view and miss His comforting “ Fear not” and 
overlook His challenging commission. In our secret 
hearts we are afraid because we have not looked again 


and left all and followed Him. 


141 


CHILDLIKENESS 


Except ye turn, and became as little children, ye shall 
in no wise enter into the kingdom of heaven—Matthew 


18: 3. 


Doubtless most children look forward with pleasur- 
able anticipations to growing up, and some even long to 
be like what they suppose you and I are. But equally 
certainly do we look back with yearning to what children 
are. Now if the business of being an adult were an in- 
evitable progress from innocent simplicity to sophisti- 
cated self-consciousness, life would indeed be a process of 
disillusionment. And indeed it is true, as all poetic souls 
have realized, that growing up into a recogition of limi- 
tations is an inevitable experience. ‘Therein lies its real 
pathos. 

But you will observe, if you meditate quietly on Jesus’ 
words, that He does not call on us to perform the im- 
possible and wicked feat of remaining children. He does 
not bid us check growth, physically or mentally. He 
nowhere presents the kingdom as the possession of child- 
ish folk. He invites us, when we have gone through the 
deep waters of growing up to “ turn and become as little 
children ” in order to enter the kingdom of heaven. 

That, by God’s grace, is not only a possibility but a 
necessity for the human soul. It means turning from 
worldly wisdom to the heavenly wisdom of faith on 
which all real knowledge is founded. It means finding 
in the experience of forgiveness the adult counterpart of 
childhood’s innocence. It means looking at all people 
and the world itself through the fresh eyes of a new 
spiritual birth. 


142 


SEASONED SPEECH 


Let your speech be always with grace, seasoned with 
salt, that ye may know how ye ought to answer each 
one.—Colossians 4: 6. 





This counsel was directed in the first place to the 
manner of answering critics of Christianity. But like 
all valuable counsel it has a much wider application than 
the particular circumstances that drew it forth. 

Look at it as it bears on all speech—especially conver- 
sation. It proposes two ingredients for what a man shall 
say—grace and salt, courtesy and piquancy. Speech 
ought to be kind and considerate but not flat and plati- 
tudinous; it should be salty, but leave no distasteful sting. 

Graciously stimulating conversation is one of the most 
valuable and agreeable things in the world. Alas, in 
these bob-tailed, hustling days, it is a lost art save among 
a few intimate friends. People are much inclined to say 
their say dogmatically and then go on to the next listener. . 
We need to remember that the object of speech is not 
the mere speaking of our minds or even of the truth. 
Much depends on the manner of our speech. Grace and 
salt are necessary unless even the truth is to create ene- 
mies rather than win friends. 

Let a man not only consider what he is to say, but let 
him be alert to say it with pungency and kindness that it 
may have its best effect. 


143 


UNFOUNDED CERTAINTY 


They laughed him to scorn, knowing that she was 
dead.—Luke 8: 53. 


You know the kind of man who is always coming 
around and “ facing you with the facts”? The world 
to him is a closed system of law to which he holds the 
key. Is this or that possible? Ask him—and he'll show 
you the facts. 

If you press him hard as to where he got his facts, he 
will probably decline to explain,—but he will assert his 
facts more vehemently than ever. 

He poohs-poohs all talk of things which cannot be 
perceived by the senses. He calls himself a practical 
man. No illusions for him! 

But what are these facts which he so strenuously pro- 
claims? With all our vaunted knowledge what an in- 
finitesimal fragment of this universe has been examined 
by the mind of man! And how short is the period 
during which we have watched the working of what we 
are pleased to denominate universal laws! 

In the midst of aeons of time and infinite space it is 
fitting that we should occupy ourselves with humble in- 
quiry rather than spurious certainty. 

The men who laughed Jesus to scorn in the presence of 
what to them were irrefutable facts revealed rather the 
inadequacy of their knowledge than the correctness of 
their facts. 

Don’t you wonder how they felt later when they met 
the little girl playing in the village streets? Probably 
they were still unconvinced and unrepentant, for the 
human mind is terribly tenacious of its own prejudices. 


144 


CEREMONIES VERSUS MORALITY 


I hate, I despise your feasts, and I will take no delight 
in your solemn assemblies. . . . But let justice roll down 
as waters, and righteousness as a mighty stream.—Amos 
527,244 


Ceremonies are an important part of public religion. 
Informal ceremonies may be just as much of a ritual as 
formal ones. Even the careful avoidance of all ceremony 
is really as much of a ceremony as the most elaborate 
service. It is not the way in which we worship God that 
matters; but whether or not we worship Him at all. 

What Amos is denouncing is not formal worship, but 
ceremonies divorced from morality. “Chat men of in- 
iquitous life should perform the ceremonies of religion 
without qualms as to their conduct, can only be intoler- 
able to God. For religion, in any vital sense, begins not 
with occasional observances, but with an effect on the 
whole life. Apart from that effect, ceremonies are 
nothing but hypocrisy. 

There is always a day of disaster for nations or indi- 
viduals who keep up the forms of religion but neglect 
its moral content. 

Despite popular belief to the contrary, it must be 
better to neglect the ceremonies of religion than its living 
embodiment in daily conduct. 

Where pure religion is found, ceremony and morality 
are interfused in the earthly integrity of soul and body. 


145 


CENSORSHIP AND CHARACTER 


Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able 
to stand against the wiles of the devil——Ephesians 6: 11. 


Shall social reforms be established by censorship or by 
the inner protection of character? For the most part 
men are partisans and argue the absolute necessity of the 
particular side which they have chosen without regard to 
the other. Good men are to be found on both sides, as 
usual. And, also as usual, the best men are to be found 
recognizing justice in both positions and trying to work 
a plan of procedure that will in the first place accomplish 
the desired effect. 

There can be no question but that society rightly 
demands that temptation be not unnecessarily flaunted 
in the public face—especially in the face of children 
and inexperienced people. ‘That requires a degree of 
censorship. 

On the other hand, all men who know something of 
human nature, particularly as found in themselves, know 
that the only final defense against temptation is the inner 
refusal of a man’s soul, prompted and given strength by 
God. ‘The chief help that censorship can lend to this 
defense is in warding off temptation until the soul is 
mature and strong enough to stand by itself. ‘That form 
of censorship must be primarily the censorship of parents 
and teachers supported by such laws as they may 
honestly require. 

Innocence cannot be legislated. In grown men and 
women it can only be the result of a deliberate choice of 
whatsoever things are true, honourable, just, pure, 
lovely, and of good report. 


146 


WHO’S TO BLAME? 


Seest thou a man diligent in his business? he shall 
stand before kings.—Proverbs 22: 29. 


I once spent a winter week in an inn in an old New 
England farming district. One afternoon, with several 
others, I stood by the stove in the country store. As a 
visitor I listened carefully to the conversation, only 
saying enough to indicate that I was listening as a 
friend. “There were many deserted farms in the neigh- 
bourhood (I was told), and “ big business ” was destroy- 
ing the chances of the simple and honest farmers. “There 
was much grumbling and complaining, but no plan of 
action was proposed. 

On several days after that I walked around the coun- 
tryside, and this is what I saw: Mosquito netting flap- 
ping in the wintry blasts at the door of almost every 
house—evidently left to be tattered after its summer 
service; an automobile equipped with a full set of good 
tires with only a few minor accessories missing, left to 
fall to pieces beside the road directly across from an 
occupied farmhouse; an almost new farm-tractor and 
dumping wagon standing in a lurched attitude and 
blanketed with the first snow in a field about a hundred 
yards from an open barn-door; a hammock swaying 
wildly between two leafless maple-trees in front of a 
roadside farm, lashed by a stiff breeze and a temperature 
of two degrees above zero. 

I suppose men will always complain of the oppressions 
they suffer; and God knows, often enough their com- 
plaints are just. But when you find things like these 
you sometimes wonder whether the oppressor is some 
mysterious outsider or just native incompetence, 


147 


BEFUDDLED ORDERS 


If the trumpet give an uncertain voice, whe shall pre- 
pare himself for war?—I Corinthians 14: 8. 


I was shown a letter the other day which stated that 
some society voted to appoint ‘‘a temporary, provisional, 
preliminary regional committee composed of approxi- 
mately forty persons, approximately one-half of whom 
shall be women,” etc., etc. 

It doesn’t matter what it was all about, the fact re- 
mains that you can’t get around the tentative nature of 
the proposal. Apparently this meeting had “ wanted to 
do something,” and being either unable to decide what 
to do, or unwilling to commit itself very far, had taken 
this. inane method of “ voting something” that meant 
nothing. 

It is typical of much present-day procedure. We all 
want what we call progress, or results; but most of us 
are scared to commit ourselves to anything. We hedge 
action around with such a mass of verbiage that there’s 
certain to be some loophole for escape if we decide to 
turn tail later. 

In trying to reconcile open diplomacy and pure democ- 
racy with the getting of results, many little groups of 
serious planners seem to be floundering in a maze of 
words and phrases that may mean anything anybody 
chooses, when the hour strikes. 

Who wants to serve on a “temporary, provisional, 
preliminary committee”? If we can’t get any further 
than that, why delude ourselves into thinking we have 
done anything except reveal our own befuddlement? 


148 


SPEAKING WITH AUTHORITY 


And they were astonished at his teaching; for he 
taught them as having authority, and not as the scribes. 
—Mark 1: 22. 


This seems a very strange statement. Considered 
closely, it is just the reverse of what we might have 
expected. For the scribes were “the authorities,” the 
regular professors of theology and ethics, the established 
interpreters of Scripture and the censors of public moral- 
ity. Whereas Jesus was just a plain man of the people, 
who came from a carpenter’s shop, and had no title or 
rank or wealth in the world. 

Yet His voice came into the religious controversy and 
fog of the time like a clear wind from heaven, His teach- 
ing amid the darkness of the doctors was a Divine word 
creating light. Men were not confused when they heard 
Him. ‘They were either convicted and became His foes, 
or converted and became His followers. “The quiet 
power of His speech was a living force among the souls 
of men. 

Whence came this authority? Undoubtedly from 
God, whose beloved Son and personal Messenger He 
was. But on the human side we find three things in the 
teaching of Jesus which are sources of power. 

First, knowledge; direct, real experience of God. 
Second, sincerity; the straight and simple utterance of a 
heart loyal to the truth. Third, love; “I will give 
you rest.” | 

We need more of these three things if we desire, as 
followers of Christ, to speak with authority. 


149 


AT HOME IN THE WORLD 


Surely Jehovah is in this place; and I knew it not.— 
Genesis 28: 16. 


Many people suffer greatly because they are unable to 
find themselves at home in the world. ‘They rush rest- 
lessly from one thing to another, always dissatisfied, 
rarely at peace. 

It is true that we are but sojourners in this world. 
None of us can ever be permanently satisfied here unless 
we disobey Paul’s clear injunction: ‘‘ Quench not the 
spirit.” 

‘There must ever be a conflict within man. As I heard 
it skilfully described the other day: “‘ Man is a migratory 
creature with an instinct for permanence.” 

And yet the homing-instinct can be satisfied here and 
now if we seek its fulfilment not in outward circum- 
stances but in inward reality. After all, this is God’s 
world, and as living souls in it we have a course to run 
and relationships to fulfil. 

It is not so much the impermanence of outward things 
that gives us the feeling of being adrift and lost in the 
failure to realize the presence of God with us. 

When once we grasp the truth that it is the things 
which are not seen which are eternal then we can pitch 
our tents each night with good cheer and enjoy even the 
passing pleasures of the moment. 

For we shall be at home in the world knowing the 
one thing vitally necessary to the peace of man: God is 
with us. 


150 


YET NOT 


We are pressed on every side, yet not straitened; per- 
plexed, yet not unto despair; pursued, yet not forsaken; 
smitten down, yet not destroyed.—II Corinthians 4: 8, 9. 


Evidently Paul was not a Pollyanna optimist. He did 
not imagine that the world is altogether good, and life 
wholly pleasant, and sickness only a mental error, and 
sorrow only a phantom. He faced the hard facts of 
existence; he felt “‘ the slings and arrows of outrageous 
fortune;” he was often troubled, and sometimes dis- 
tressed. But he never surrendered to sorrow. He re- 
fused to cross the boundary line from grief into despair. 
In the darkest, stormiest waters he held fast to the life- 
line of hope. 

He tells us that the way in which he succeeded in 
doing this was by remembering vividly the sufferings and 
death of Jesus, and trusting absolutely in the life of 
Jesus to be made manifest in our body. 

This line of sharp distinction between suffering and 
surrender, which is drawn in the text by the words 
‘yet not,” is a good line for us to follow, in sickness 
and health, in poverty and wealth, in prosperity and 
adversity. 

Resignation is a Christian virtue. Desperation is an 
infidel vice. 


151 


ANOTHER CHANCE 


The word of Jehovah came unto Jonah the second 
time.—Jonah 3:1. 


One of the most impressive things about God’s dealing 
with men is His insistent following up of His invita- 
tions. He does not become discouraged at hesitations or 
even flat refusals; He does not say: You’ve had your 
chance and that’s all you'll get. He is always in need 
of prophets and workmen and He is continually con- 
cerned over the fate of each man. 

The first chance is seldom enough for any of us. 
There are so many things working against our appreci- 
ation or acceptance of God’s call. Fortunately for us, 
He is longsuffering and persistent. And the wisdom of 
that patience is frequently marked by the yielding of the 
rebellious and the conviction of the hesitant. 

Moses hesitated a long time before he took up the 
call to lead the Exodus. Saul resisted stubbornly until 
the vision and voice on the Damascus road broke down 
his obstinacy. 

The truth is that God’s purpose for individuals and 
for the world is not judgment but salvation. And again 
and again it has happened that the second call has ac- 
complished what the first has failed to do. 

Would not you and I be far better servants of God if 
we learned from this method to be more generously per- 
sistent and resourceful in our dealings with one another? 


AMUSEMENTS AND THEIR PURPOSE 


My glory is fresh in me, 
And my bow is renewed in my hand, 
—Job 29:20. 


The story is told of the Apostle John that one day a 
hunter found him seated on the ground and playing with 
a tame quail. The hunter expressed astonishment that 
sO earnest and serious a man should be spending his time 
so idly. John looked up and asked: “‘ Why is the bow 
on thy shoulder unstrung? ” 

“ Because if kept always taut it would lose its spring,” 
replied the hunter. 

“ For the same reason,” said the Apostle, “ I play with 
this little bird.” 

It is no sign of weakness, but a mark of decent regard 
for human nature to recognize the need of relaxation. 
Especially in the midst of a complex civilization where 
particular strain is put on the conscious effort to adapt 
oneself to environment it is important to unstring the 
bow. 

But it is vital to remember that this unstringing is for 
the purpose of conserving the bow’s strength. If your 
relaxation takes the spring out of your bow, it is worse 
than useless. 

How much better it would be if we took our amuse- 
ments less as a means of passing the time and more as a 
genuine (even if unconscious) restorative. 

Perhaps then more of us would adopt the simple way 
of playing with some living creature instead of squander- 
ing money on expensive ‘‘ amusements ”’—from which 
we must recover afterwards. 


153 


EDUCATION THROUGH AFFLICTION 


For it became him, for whom are all things, and 
through whom are all things, in bringing many sons unto 
glory, to make the author of their salvation perfect 
through sufferings—Hebrews 2: 10. 


The endeavour to avoid pain is a curious element in 
the futility of uninspired human nature. I do not mean 
that the conscious seeking after suffering is a noble pur- 
pose. ‘The desire for martyrdom is often nothing more 
than the dull man’s way of securing attention. But I 
mean that the principle on which many of us uncon- 
sciously conduct our lives is that of avoiding pain and 
cultivating pleasure. We forget that the ultimate fac- 
tors in the spiritual universe are not pain and pleasure, 
but right and wrong; that deliberate following of the 
right not only often leads through suffering, but that 
this suffering has a real part to play in the education 
of the soul. 

Not only is it true that the discoveries and inventions 
which mark the progress of man have been made at the 
cost of great suffering, but the heights of spiritual 
achievement have been invariably attained by those alone 
who know what anguish of soul is. 

How terrible would be the loss to mankind if there 
were taken away from us the deeds accomplished through 
pain! And how poverty-stricken is human nature itself 
apart from the discipline of suffering. 

Did the glory of Christ ever reach a higher point than 
when He was lifted up on the cross? 

Can you and I ever be His true disciples unless we 
accept education through affliction? 


154 


ADVISING OTHER PEOPLE 
The thing that thou doest is not good.—Exodus 18: 17. 


Moses was lucky to have such a father-in-law as 
Jethro who counselled him so frankly and considerately. 
In fact this whole chapter of Exodus is a model of how 
to give advice to other people. Restrained, dignified, 
sympathetic—a true corrective and no mere pointing out 
of error. 

The world needs more “ in-laws” like that. And es- 
pecially do we need to learn how to give advice to other 
people. Most of our criticism is so personal, so satis- 
factory to our own pride and so useless to help the person 
criticised. 

Surely there must be some way to suppress that na- 
tural sin of tumultuous jubilation at the errors of others 
so that we can speak a helpful warning instead of an 
intolerable denunciation. 

How sagely Jethro spoke! He referred to the great 
burden that Moses was wrongfully assuming, and he 
acutely pointed out that it would not only wear Moses 
away (which to enthusiastic Moses might seem unim- 
portant), but would also wear out the people. He 
reached Moses through his beloved people. And then 
he pointed out that the great purpose of the Exodus was 
that “ all the people shall go to their place in peace,” and 
that to accomplish this, organization and the adjustment 
of responsibilities was needed. 

The next time you have criticism to offer study 
Jethro’s procedure, 


155 


ADVENTURES IN FAMILIAR THINGS 


Because thou wast found faithful in a very little, have 
thou authority over ten cities—Luke 19: 17. 


The proverb has it that “ familiarity breeds con- 
tempt ;’” but that refers to the familiarity which has lost 
all sense of values. There is another kind of familiarity 
which produces love and respect. 

In truth, novelty is no more desirable in itself than 
familiarity. And adventure in its essence depends less 
on strangeness of events than freshness of spirit. ‘The 
number of experiences that in themselves can be called 
new for any man are very limited. But the number of 
times a man may be renewed in approaching the same 
experience seems to be without limit. Daily bread and 
sleep never lose their appeal. 

How your heart leaps when you meet your friend! 
Will any mere stranger usurp his place? The more you 
see him, the better it is. Each time there is some new 
beauty or grace to discover. 

Look at Nature. What is more commonplace than 
the burgeoning of life? But it will require a scientist 
and a poet to describe it. And they will remind you how 
much there is still to be discovered about the very grass 
at your doorstep, not to mention the stars shining nightly 
over your head. 

Is your home a poor thing because it is familiar? 
Why, its very grace is in its familiarity. You can walk 
through it in the dark and put your hand on this and 
this and this. Can there be anything more familiar or 
more full of adventure than a home—the tenting place 
of immortal souls on the journey of life? 


156 


ADAPTABILITY 


I am become all things to all men, that I may by all 
means save some.—I Corinthians 9: 22. 


One reason why some religious people have such dif_i- 
culty in winning others to the religious life is because of 
their uncompromising rigidity. ‘To them there is only 
one way of being religious—and that is their own par- 
ticular way. They cannot see that a man may be re- 
ligious and yet be quite different from themselves. “They 
confuse unity of spirit with identity of form. Conse- 
quently, instead of persuading men, they antagonize 
them. “They become proponents of party opinions, rather 
than missionaries of religion. 

This was not the Apostle Paul’s way. With an in- 
telligence worthy of the great missionary cause, he ad- 
justed his approach to various sorts of men in accordance 
with their ability to grasp his meaning. How different 
are his epistles to the ‘Thessalonians, an assemblage of 
rough, simple folk, and that to the Colossians, a people 
that prided themselves on their philosophy and superior 
knowledge. 

Was this adaptability the method of an opportunist, a 
compromiser? Examine Paul’s writings, review the 
events of his life and see! Here was an unwavering 
spiritual allegiance combined with a careful observance 
of the surface differences in men in order that each man 
might be reached with the world-embracing message of 
Christ. 

Is it not the genius of Christianity that it is the 
adaptable presentation of eternal truth? 


157 


& 


THE FOLLY OF IMPATIENCE 


When the people saw that Moses delayed to come 
down from the mount, the people gathered themselves 
together unto Aaron, and said, Up, make us gods, ... 
for as for this Moses .. . we know not what is become 
of him.—Exodus 32: 1. 


It is easy enough for us to see in the light of later 
events, the folly of this action. But at the time the 
surface evidence appeared to justify what the people did. 
The only virtue that would have saved them from their 
error was lacking: i. e., patience. Having made up their 
minds how soon Moses ought to return, they refused to 
wait for him even though they had no remotest idea 
what might be keeping him. Impatient, impulsive, head- 
strong, they could not wait but plunged off into an ill- 
considered course that was full of trouble for them all. 

Action taken under the impulse of haste and impa- 
tience is usually foolish. A superficial glance often seems 
to justify a course which a little patience reveals as the 
utterest folly. What reason had these people for doubt- 
ing Moses, except their own impatience? What justifi- 
cation was there for their plan except their headlong 
desire to do something at once? 

Impatience accounts for many wild schemes in days 
of emergency and creates many a frightful panic. Action 
is the result toward which thought tends, but impatient 
action is always the result of folly. 


Can you hope to hit the mark if you go off at 
half-cock ? 


158 


THE NATURE OF LOYALTY 


Now I stand here to be judged for the hope of the 
promise made of God unto our fathers—Acts 26: 6. 


The Apostle Paul was too intelligent and devout a 
man to view the world under the false simplicity of the 
“either this or that”? formula. As a trained historian 
he saw that the manner of picturing life as a conflict of 
loyalties—a manner which is very popular today—indi- 
cates an extremely superficial view of history. 

Above the conflict he found the progressive fulfilment 
of the old in the new. He had become a Christian and, 
in the popular view, this was a new loyalty in conflict 
with his old loyalty. But he pointed out that he stood 
in his new position “‘ for the hope of the promise made of 
God unto our fathers.”” He had not cut himself off from 
the noble history of Israel. He had rather stepped into 
the right relationship with that history for his day and 
generation. 

It is said that Henry Ward Beecher was once asked 
whether he were a Calvinist. ‘‘ Yes,” he replied, ‘‘ be- 
cause I believe what John Calvin would have believed 
had he lived in my time and seen things as I see them.” 

Loyalty never means the blind self-surrender of one 
man to another. It is a high spiritual relationship which 
calls for the fullest and freest exercise of personality. 


159 


THE QUESTION OF SERVICE 


He that is the greater among you, let him become as 
the younger; and he that is chief, as he that doth serve.— 
Luke 22: 26. 


These are the days in which many young men and 
women are graduating from the schools and colleges of 
our land. ‘The contrast between the academic cloister 
and ‘the world” is not so great as it is supposed by 
some to be. Especially is this true for that fine and 
growing body of young people who at least in part earn 
the expenses of their education. Still there is no doubt 
that graduation marks an epoch in the life of the indi- 
vidual student. ‘The question of what to do next, if it is 
not already decided, becomes the most practical issue in 
the world. 

You will see some foolish young people drifting pur- 
poselessly into a career that will never satisfy them, or 
grasping greedily at something that looks good because 
of its financial returns. 

You will hear silly old people grumbling because 

Johnny or Susie show no interest in a nice little job that 
is benevolently offered them in the hope that they will 
settle down and get married. 
- But you will also see the sensible people—both the 
young ones and their older counsellors—facing together 
the real question: Where can this young man or that 
young woman perform the highest service in the living 
of their lives? 

Talk as you will about opportunities and salaries and 
careers and fame,—that is the main issue. Leave it out 
in favour of any other consideration and you are heading 
for trouble. 

Bring it up and discuss it frankly. For of what value 
is life apart from the service it may render? 


160 


LIVING UP TO CAPACITY 


I came that they may have life, and may have it 
abundantly.—John 10: 10. 


Most of us talk a good deal about being too busy, but 
the truth is that very few of us are busy enough. 

We are too anxious, or too confused, or too much in 
a hurry—but rarely too busy. 

We have not learned how to live up to our capacities— 
either by way of work, or by way of enjoyment of life. 

We spend a great deal of time running away from life, 
trying to get a snug little place fixed up for ourselves 
where we expect to sit down and enjoy life. But when 
we accomplish our purpose happiness has somehow 
eluded us. 

Neither our physical nor moral muscles get sufficient 
exercise. We look for happiness in escape from life 
when in reality happiness is only to be found in meeting 
the full tides of life. Our real need is not less life but 
more life. 

Surely that is the lesson which Jesus teaches us: 
“TI came that they may have life and may have it 
abundantly.” 

What satisfaction is there for the sword that rusts 
away? 

What peace is there for the candle that remains 
unlighted ? 

Let the sword be raised in the good battle of life. 

Let the candle burn bravely to the socket. 


““ How good is man’s life, the mere living! how fit 
to employ 
All the heart and the soul and the senses forever 
in joy.” 


161 


THE TREATMENT OF INSIDERS 
Be at peace among yourselves.—l Thessalonians 5: 13. 


It would seem that among people who are agreed on 
the great purposes of life or who are bound together by 
some large common interest, peace could be taken for 
granted, And yet we all know that small things break 
the peace among brethren just as well as among stran- 
gers. In fact it often appears that it takes less to start 
a quarrel in the former than in the latter case. 

The truth is that there is no situation in which the 
peace does not need to be kept. 

One reason why we find so little peace is because we 
act as if it were a natural condition requiring no effort 
on our part, whereas in reality the maintenance of peace 
requires our constant and deliberate attention. 

Did you ever notice how insignificant a cause will 
begin a quarrel among children in the same family? Or 
how easily those who are closely associated tend to drift 
apart even to the extent of becoming violently hostile, 
unless something is done to prevent it? 

You cannot take peace for granted even among those 
who have every good reason for being at peace with each 
other. There is no logic in war or hostility of any kind. 

If you really want peace to continue among families or 
churches or in any sort of relationship among men you 
will be well advised to take time and effort to maintain 
it. For peace is much more costly to restore than to 
keep. Among brethren it requires special attention. 


162 


THE TREATMENT OF OUTSIDERS 


..- Lhat ye may walk becomingly toward them that 
are without.—I Thessalonians 4: 12. 


It is necessary for men to associate themselves in con- 
genial groups. And of course every such grouping in- 
volves incidentally the exclusion of certain other men. 
Trouble originates not with the natural instinct that 
draws together like-minded persons, but with the atti- 
tude inside the association toward those who are outside 
it. So long as the emphasis falls on the positive attrac- 
tion that forms the association all is well. But when 
those inside begin to take a superior attitude toward 
those outside,—or vice versa—then disaster is imminent. 

All this is especially true of religious associations 
where traditions or prejudices frequently transform con- 
victions into intolerance. 

As a strict matter of fact there is nothing that more 
promptly or accurately reveals the true nature of a man’s 
faith than his attitude toward those who do not share it. 

Is he patronizingly superior; or fiercely hostile; or 
stupidly indifferent? Be sure then that his own faith 
lacks depth, or balance, or conviction. 

But does he respect the convictions of other men while 
holding fast his own; does he combat what he believes to 
be false opinions, not with personal animosity, but with 
the clear and positive statements of his own belief; does 
he seek always to learn what any man may have to 
teach him? 

Then you may know that you have met a man of genu- 
ine faith because he walks becomingly toward them that 
are without. 


163 


PREPARING FOR WARS 


Herein thou hast done foolishly; for from henceforth 
thou shalt have wars.——II Chronicles 16: 9. 


Perhaps the greatest issue before men today is that of 
putting an end to war. We have become deeply im- 
‘pressed with the futility of fighting as a means of settling 
any question. 

“Nothing is ever settled until it is settled right.” A 
nation may, by force of arms, temporarily obtain its ends 
over its neighbour; but that neighbour, if there is a real 
conviction of injustice, will never accept defeat perma- 
nently. The effect of righteousness alone, as Isaiah said, 
is quietness and confidence forever. “The attempt to 
assemble power for any ends apart from justice, merely 
paves the way for coming disaster. 

This was the error of Asa, King of Judah, when he 
made his alliance with Ben-hadad, King of Syria, and 
failed to rely on God. Hanani, the seer, warned him of 
the inevitable outcome of the barren combination of 
power. 

The lesson has never been learned by the nations of 
the world. Still we go on preparing the way for future 
wars by our opportunist policy of ruthlessly grasping 
temporary advantages for ourselves, or trying to settle 
issues with other nations by the threat of superior force. 

That nation alone is secure from the real perils of 
war whose man-power is made invincible by a home and 
foreign policy of justice and fair play for all. 


164 


A BUSYBODY 


Let none of you suffer as a meddler in other men’s 
matters.—l Peter 4:15. 


St. Peter seems to have disliked the busybody quite as 
cordially as St. Paul did. But he uses a different Greek 
word to describe this obnoxious person. St. Paul’s word 
means a man or a woman who is always bustling around 
about trifles. St. Peter’s word is stronger: it means a 
person who sets up to be a bishop over other people’s 
affairs. “The significance is the same in both cases. 

The busybody is a he or a she who attempts to control 
or regulate the private concerns of others. He (for 
politeness’ sake let us say he) concentrates his attention 
on the conduct of his neighbours, tells them what they 
should eat and drink and wear, instructs them how to 
carry on their business and train their children, and gen- 
erally oversees their life for them. If they fail to follow 
his unsolicited advice, he promptly judges and condemns 
them, and usually circulates evil reports about them. He 
claims that it is a matter of conscience with him. Not 
at all,—it is a matter of vanity, malice, and mental 
erysipelas. 

Naturally, he often gets himself into trouble. That is 
why St. Peter warned the Christians, ‘‘ Let none of you 
suffer as a busybody.” 


165 


RESPONSIBILITY FOR OTHERS 


His sons did bring a curse upon themselves, and he 
restrained them not.—I Samuel 3: 13. 


Despite the tendency of our day to be unduly con- 
cerned about other people’s conduct of their affairs, it is 
necessary that we realize the impossibility of being totally 
irresponsible toward other people. We cannot by any 
chance wash our hands of concern for others without 
permanently crippling our own spiritual nature. 

“No man liveth to himself, and no man dieth to 
himself.” 

As a matter of legal obligation of course you are not 
required to be concerned about the personal welfare of 
your fellow-townsman, but if you are a good citizen you 
will be so. 

Now, one of the most displeasing and disastrous kinds 
of irresponsibility appears (as it did in the case of Eli 
and his sons) in a certain type of family life. 

Some parents think their responsibility ends when they 
clothe and feed their children and hand them over to 
church and school for education. 

I once had the appalling experience of being roundly 
scolded by a lady of that sort for the bad actions of her 
boy to whom she both showed maternal neglect and 
offered a corrupt example of private conduct. 

You cannot afford to make even the mistake of neglect. 
If social or business affairs interfere you’d better readapt 
them now than regret them later. 

No institution will ever be devised to take the 
place of private concern for others—especially parental 
concern. 


166 


RESPECTABILITY OR SALVATION 


I am not come to call the righteous but sinners to 
repentance.—Luke 5: 32. 


Jesus quickly won the nickname of “the friend of 
publicans and sinners.” It was a maliciously given title, 
for it was intended to insinuate that His purpose in 
associating with people of bad reputation was evil. But 
no one dared bring the charge directly. It would have 
fallen flat. So an endeavour was made to injure by 
innuendo where no charges could be brought. 

Nowadays we acknowledge freely the glory of that 
nickname given in derision. Like many another name 
hostilely applied, it has been transformed into an hon- 
ourable title. 

But do we follow the example Jesus set in acquiring 
the name? 

Perhaps the most serious single charge that can be 
brought against the Church as an institution is that it is 
induced to put respectability ahead of passionate concern 
for all sorts and conditions of men. When every allow- 
ance is made for our natural limitations of adaptability, 
does it not still remain true that at least in action our 
churches are more concerned with respectability than 
salvation? We are a little more eager to be above all 
suspicion rather than to follow our Master in this as in 
other respects. 

Is this not the reason why many men who are earnest 
Christians tend to avoid the Church? 

If church officers and members occupied themselves 
more with the cure of souls and less with external con- 
formity and orderliness of conduct, we would at least 
stand nearer our Master than we do. Is that not the 
heart of every reform needed in the Christian Church? 


167 


RESPECT FOR OTHERS 
Honour all men.—I Peter 2:17. 


One of the great difficulties in human relationships 
comes from our failure to render honour to all men. We 
are too easily inclined to coddle ourselves and our par- 
ticular group of intimates and to neglect or despise all 
outside of that circle. 

Well, of course that is a little better than being a 
selfish individualist,—not to mention the fact that it is 
also a somewhat wiser worldly philosophy,—but it is 
still contrary to the teaching of universal religion. 

For the fact is that, while the personal aspects of love 
must necessarily be reserved for the limited circle of 
those who are our particular friends, the respect for 
human personality, which is the basis of intelligent love, 
cannot rightfully be denied to any man. 

We greatly need, today, a renewed emphasis on this 
truth. Our neglect of it accounts for man’s oppression 
of man at long range without any particular feeling of 
concern; and explains our cruelly conventional and im- 
personal relations with those who are called servants— 
whether ‘‘ domestic ” or ‘ public.” 

In the final analysis, the significance of men does not 
depend on their degree of personal relationship to me (or 
anybody else), but on the fact that as living souls we 
are all created in the image of God and owe each other 
mutual respect, 


168 


GOOD-HUMOURED RESOURCEFULNESS 


So he reasoned in the synagogue ... and in the 
market-place every day with them that met him.—Acts 


17:17. 


Paul was evidently not only a man of great vigour and 
force but likewise a man of persuasive power and re- 
sourcefulness. “The word “ reasoned ”’ is frequently used 
in the book of Acts concerning his preaching. His efforts 
to draw men to the Gospel were not founded on his 
ability to enforce his opinion on others, but rather on his 
success in confronting men with their own consciences. 
He cannot be accused of trying to bluster and smash his 
way through men’s minds. 

I was playing pool one evening on a rickety old table 
in a London mission. Failing entirely to negotiate the 
bumps I fell to hitting the balls rather viciously. Where- 
upon an old weatherbeaten fellow who was watching 
whispered hoarsely to his neighbour: “‘ Wot the gen’le- 
man lacks in skill ’e more than makes hup for in force.” 

There was no indiscriminate use of force in Paul’s 
methods. His speech always made men feel the skilfully 
aroused pressure of their own consciences. 

Nor did he complain if everybody did not come to hear 
him preach. He simply carried the same preaching into 
the market-place. 

Doubtless he often wished the mountain would come 
to him, but if it would not he would go to the mountain. 
That may be Mahomet’s phrase but it was Paul’s method 
long beforehand. 

Good-humoured resourcefulness is a great aid in get- 
ting things done. 


169 


PASSING RESOLUTIONS 


All the assembly said, Amen, and praised Jehovah. 
And the people did according to this promise. 
—Nehemiah 5: 13. 


When Nehemiah found that his work of restoring 
Jerusalem was being handicapped by the greediness of 
certain astute but unprincipled inhabitants of the city, he 
proposed the abolition of usury in order to put an end to 
an intolerable situation. ‘The people voted in favour of 
his proposition. And not only so, but they also put it 
into practice. ‘Chey passed a resolution and actually put 
it into action! 

Something tells me that there is in this fact an im- 
portant theme for our meditation today. 

The passing of resolutions is a very popular form of 
exercise. Lots of people seem to feel that when a resolu- 
tion is passed responsibility for it is ended. 

As a matter of fact when a resolution is voted and 
printed for circulation, nothing has been accomplished 
unless action is undertaken for putting it into practice. 

Would it not be better if we adopted fewer of these 
resounding resolutions addressed to nobody in particular 
(and least of all to ourselves) and laid hold of a few 
simple principles and embodied them in our lives? 

Wouldn’t our Christianity be a far more honest thing 
if we adopted this procedure? 


170 


ACCEPTING RESPONSIBILITY 


It is good for a man that he bear the yoke in his 
youth—lLamentations 3: 27. 


Irresponsibility dressed up to look like independence is 
one of the accepted delusions of the romanticists. As a 
matter of fact everybody knows that, except for very little 
children, a measure of responsibility is a vital need of all 
people. Of course we all like to talk about being utterly 
carefree; but that is only a brief holiday mood which 
comes as a reaction from the steady strain of responsi- 
bility. If irresponsibility lasted any length of time we 
should soon sicken of it. For we know perfectly well 
that what we need most is not easier lives but greater 
strength. 

Naturally no one wants to see little children pre- 
maturely aged by the weight of responsibility thrown on 
young and undeveloped shoulders. “The pinched faces of 
toiling children who ought to be studying and playing, 
or the weary backs of “ little mothers ”’ who ought to be 
playing with dolls instead of caring for babies are dis- 
graces to our civilization. But it is no greater disgrace 
than that of the young men and women who grow up 
without a care and develop into parasites on society, a 
shame to themselves and an intolerable nuisance to their 
families and friends. 

In every town and village you may find their hang- 
out, whether it be a street corner, a dance hall or a 
private house. 

The discipline of responsibility is a vital part of edu- 
cation for life. Unduly to postpone its acceptance by 
yourself or others is a social injustice all the more perni- 
cious because of its sentimentality. 


171 


RESERVE POWER 


David ... chose him five smooth stones out of the 
brook.—I Samuel 17: 40. 


In the fascinating story of David’s victory over Go- 
liath everyone remembers that David chose five smooth 
stones out of the brook, but that the very first one he 
hurled from his sling hit the mark and gave him the vic- 
tory. David was apparently a dead shot, but he carried 
the four extra stones in case of an emergency. Being a 
wise, though youthful warrior, he knew the uncertainties 
of battle and came supplied with extra ammunition. 
Doubtless he was confident of his mastery of the sling 
and the righteousness of his cause, but he was not going 
to boast about mastery even to himself, nor rely on the 
justice of his cause to excuse ample preparation on his 
part. 

Some people are rather inclined to skimp their own 
preparations, especially in a good cause or for a feat in 
which they are particularly skilled. 

For example, there are ministers who keep talking 
about one idea only in the unsearchable riches of Christ 
and will not increase their equipment nor broaden their 
preparation. “They are not very effective because if their 
one shot misses they are helpless. 

Also there are many people who are trying to meet 
life with an irreducible minimum of religion. ‘They are 
taking more than a long chance, for religion is powerless 
until it represents the fullest generosity. 


172 


THE FOLLY OF RESENTMENT 
A revolting and a rebellious heart.—Jeremiah 5: 23. 


Some children were playing in the Park. A small boy 
came flying down a sloping asphalt walk on his scooter, 
the very embodiment of joy. At the foot of the hill he 
lost control and swerved into the curb, pitching headlong 
on the grass at the side. He arose unhurt but with the 
terrible marks of anger on his face, went back to the 
curb and deliberately kicked it with all his might. Of 
course, then he hurt himself and howled with pain and 
resentment. 

All of which is characteristic of many people far older 
than the little boy. They resent injuries—especially in- 
juries to their self-esteem—even when they are due to 
their own blunders and are inflicted by the impersonal 
laws of nature. 

‘The same thing applies to the harbouring of personal 
erudges. The amount of energy and mental power 
wasted on resentment of one sort or another would 
suffice for the carrying out of many noble projects. 

The damage done us by malicious persons or by colli- 
sion with the laws of God’s universe is nothing compared 
with the injury we work ourselves through resentment. 

As a beloved friend wrote me the other day: ‘‘ People 
are always looking out of the back of their heads at the 
past with a sullen mental attitude which doesn’t help 
them at all, instead of looking forward to the future with 
some measure of hope.” 


173 


SENSELESS REMORSE 


Take me up, and cast me forth into the sea; so shall 
the sea be calm unto you: for I know that for my sake 
this great tempest is upon you.—Jonah 1: 12. 


‘That offer of Jonah to be sacrificed for the good of 
the ship has a fine sound of generosity about it. But 
unless the offer is to be interpreted entirely apart from 
Jonah’s character, as illustrated elsewhere in the book, 
its root lay in acute remorse and childish superstition. 

Being caught in the storm as he was running away 
from the call of God, his baffled and sore conscience 
dragged him down into senseless despair. Instead of per- 
ceiving that God was seeking to turn him from his selfish 
way, he found only God’s retribution following him. His 
offer to be thrown overboard came not so much out of 
willingness to be sacrificed for the sake of his shipmates 
as out of sudden personal despair. If he could not have 
his own way of going to Tarshish, what was his life 
worth? If God would not leave him alone, he would 
rather be dead. Very likely there was a touch of pity 
for his fellow voyagers in the final offer, but the root of 
it was barren remorse. 

Remorse, until the rudder of the will is turned toward 
duty and the star of hope arises, is without meaning. 

To be so sorry and afraid that you wish you were 
dead, is not enough. What God asks for is repentance 
unto salvation. 


174 


UTILITARIAN RELIGION 


O woman, great is thy faith: be it done unto thee even 
as thou wilt-—Matthew 15: 28. 





Suppose a man who had never been aware of the 
beauty of the world suddenly had his eyes opened and 
saw the exquisite glory of a landscape. Suppose then he 
became obsessed with the irresistible desire to reproduce 
it on canvas and went to a great artist and said: “ Quick, 
give me the skill to paint this scene.’”’ Would we not 
call him a great fool, for thinking that it would be pos- 
sible at a moment’s notice to gain and exercise so mar- 
vellous a power ? 

And yet, is that not just the attitude many people take 
in religion? So long as men feel at ease in themselves, 
they turn away from religion. But when some great 
trouble besets them or an unsurmountable obstacle stands 
in their way, they would like to receive faith at once in 
order to remove the trouble or the obstacle. 

No wonder that the religion men seek to work up in 
order to produce this or that particular result is im- 
potent. It must be so, because there is no faith in it. 

Religion is not a utilitarian scheme for obtaining om- 
nipotence when we in ourselves are helpless. It is a way 
of life which, being daily practised, provides saving 
power in the time of crisis. 

If you have faith first you will have power in time of 
need ; but you cannot get power by calling for faith when 
you are in trouble. 


175 


PROOF BY REITERATION 


They think that they shall be heard for their much 
speaking.—Matthew 6: 7. 


There is a curious idea abroad today that if you keep 
on saying a thing often enough people will accept it for 
the truth. 

Doubtless it is a fact that many people judge more of 
the importance of any statement by the number of times 
they see it in print or hear it said, than by the person who 
says or writes it or by its innate value. 

I have just received the seventeenth letter in six 
months from a firm informing me that a certain machine 
which they make is absolutely essential to my business. 
Unfortunately for the firm I happen to know more 
about my own affairs than they do. ‘The first letter I 
read. All the others have gone into the waste-paper 
basket. If that method of advertising is good business, 
then there is something radically wrong with our system 
of education. ‘Iwo or three circulars, to be sure one at 
least receives attention, I can understand. But seventeen 
is only an evidence of poor business or a frightful com- 
mentary on human nature as at present educated. 

What a revolution it would work in our modern life 
if we could really train people to disregard the vocifer- 
ousness of statements and to observe the speaker, his 
reasons, and to weigh the statements themselves, 


176 


RACIAL LABELS 


Our fathers worshipped in this mountain; and ye 
say that in Jerusalem is the place where men ought to 
worship.—John 4: 20. 


“The Samaritan woman, perceiving that Jesus was of 
the Jewish race, attributed to him the standard Jewish 
belief that men ought to worship in Jerusalem. It was 
an utterly superficial judgment. Jesus was a Jew, but 
not in the sense that he shared all opinions with his 
compatriots. 

Naturally as a Jew, and until the authorities of his 
own people cast him out, his worship centered in Jeru- 
salem. But it was not a narrow nationalistic worship 
that he observed in the national shrine. He told that 
worldly woman, ‘‘ The hour cometh and now is, when 
the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit 
and truth.” Neither the Holy Mountain of Samaria nor 
the Holy City of Jerusalem was the exclusive place of 
worship. For God’s call is for the spiritual worship of 
the heart which is subject to no form, time or place. 

The Samaritan woman made a serious mistake in at- 
tributing an opinion to Jesus on the basis of her observa- 
tion of certain racial characteristics. 

Even so, to apply a racial label to any man without 
considering whether or not he deserves it is a great in- 
justice. And this is true both by way of commendation 
or blame. 

For each individual is not only a representative of his 
race or nation. He may be, first of all, a man. 


177 


THE PURPOSE OF THE HEART 
But one thing is needful.—Luke 10: 42. 


The story of Martha cumbered about much serving 
and complaining to Jesus because her sister, who was 
seated at Jesus’ feet, was not helping her, is frequently 
misunderstood. Jesus’ rebuke to Martha and commenda- 
tion of Mary has been taken to mean the absolute supe- 
riority of the reflective over the active manner of life. 
Poor Martha has been condemned by well-fed people for 
being busy over such unimportant things as food, and 
justification has been found for idleness in the undis- 
criminating praise of Mary. 

We need to go deeper to find the real lesson. What 
Jesus rebuked in Martha was not the task she had under- 
taken, but the grumbling and worried spirit in which she 
was doing it. What he praised in Mary was not her 
aloofness from the supper preparations but her concern 
in the things of the spirit. 

Suppose Martha had gone about her work cheerfully, 
singing as we have all heard women sing over the supper 
dishes; and suppose Mary had been uttering to Jesus 
unkind comments on her “ worldly sister.”’ Which, then, 
do you think, would have received the rebuke and which 
the praise? 

There is no one exclusive form of service that is ac- 
ceptable to God. But there is one spiritual attitude. 
which must pervade everything that God’s people do. 


178 


RELIGION AND TALK 


Why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things 
which I say?—Luke 6: 46. 


One reason why some people are pessimistic about the 
outlook for religion is because they confuse religion with 
talking about religion. ‘The latter is a very beneficial 
and somewhat neglected exercise but ought never to be 
considered the sole evidence of the possession of true 
religion. 

For religion is the right attitude of any whole life 
toward God and man; while the ability to talk helpfully 
on religious themes is a particular gift. 

Bearing witness to the truth is far more than talking 
about it. I can never forget the lesson taught me by one 
of the sanest and most helpful Church officers I have 
ever known. A common and lovely phrase in his public 
prayers goes like this: “‘ Help us, O Lord, to hear the 
truth, and then to live it out that it may become in us 
the living Word.” 

The severest criticism that can be levelled against the 
Church is that it fosters talk about religion and religious: 
ceremonies, but neglects embodied justice, mercy and 
truth. ‘The reason for this is evident: It is because men 
are always confusing the form with the reality, the 
manner of expression with the thing itself. 

Talk is valuable; but even religious talk is only a 
small part of religion. 


179 


WITHOUT PUBLICITY 
See thou say nothing to any man.—Mark 1: 44. 


I have a friend who declares that publicity is not 
always an unmixed blessing even for good deeds or ideas. 
There are times he claims when things need to grow 
silently and unnoticed out of sight. “The burgeoning of 
summer is lovely to his thought, but he is also charmed 
by the silent underground contribution of winter. He 
mourns the crippling of many fine movements through 
too much forcing under the pitiless rays of public popu- 
larity. The Christian Church suffered greatly in his 
opinion when Christianity became the State religion 
under the Emperor Constantine. ‘Today the Church is 
handicapped by being too much in the public eye. Let 
her take the quiet ways of inner development lest she be 
swallowed up in cheap notoriety. 

Can you advertise humility? What does self-con- 
scious goodness become? Surely there is lovely music 
that cannot be played on the big drum or the trumpet. 

There are even flowers that bloom only in the shadows 
of secret forests. You need not seek for the greatest 
values only in those things which are blared forth as new 
and unprecedented. 

Jesus at least began his work in the ancient synagogue 
and under the Mosaic law. What part did undesired 
and unsought publicity play in the break that later came? 

What do you think of my friend’s opinion? Has it 
not a needed emphasis for our day—even if it be not the 
whole truth? Some things must speak for themselves 
without advertisement. 


180 


Beas. 


PROTUBERANT PROSPERITY 
Their eyes stand out with fatness——Psalm 73: 7. 


To be prosperous may be a legitimate part of a man’s 
purpose. But there is a kind of prosperity which is dis- 
quieting to all honest men. 

Francis Bacon said, “ Prosperity is the blessing of the 
Old Testament; adversity is the blessing of the New.” 
And every thoughtful man knows that the way of life 
to which Jesus calls men does not set prosperity as one 
of its aims. 

Not that a wealthy man should be looked on with sus- 
picion. ‘lo take that attitude would be to neglect Jesus’ 
teaching of the value of every human soul. But there is 
a kind of prosperity which is totally inconsistent with the 
Christian position. And it behooves every man who in- 
herits or earns large sums of money to see to it that his 
prosperity is not of that kind. 

The vulgar displays of some rich people betray not 
only their evil hearts, but provide a source of genuine 
temptation to other people. 

No one can say how serious a trial it is for hard- 
working people to labour for a mere pittance where they 
are surrounded by the idle rich. No one can say how 
much bitterness is engendered out of a sense of genuine 
injustice. 

It is all very well to condemn envy, but that is not the 
whole story. Protuberant prosperity is a source of real 
social danger because it reveals an evil heart. 


181 


WHERE ARE THE PROPHETS? 


Ye know how to interpret the face of the earth and 
the heaven; but how is it that ye know not how to inter- 
pret this time?—Luke 12: 56. 


There are lots of good weather-prophets in the world. 
Their business has a direct and practical bearing on the 
conduct of human affairs. “Their observations are ac- 
curate and intelligent and their predictions are valuable. 

But when it comes to interpreting this age, where are 
the prophets? Not that candidates for the position are 
lacking. ‘There are more than enough of them as every- 
body knows. But they have not the qualifications in 
their field which the weather-prophets have in theirs. 

Such was Jesus’ criticism in his day. Would it be any 
different in our day? 

Our age is well supplied with men who are very skil- 
ful in what are called practical affairs—the relating of 
nature’s forces to man’s daily life. Jet no one depreciate 
the usefulness of such service. 

But is there not a deeper aspect to life than this? Is 
there not need that men should learn how to observe and 
criticise (in the full meaning of that word) this age? 

No one can say what our age means or what men 
ought to do until a prophet arises who will observe 
widely and ponder deeply instead of glancing and chat- 
tering, and who will draw conclusions from established 
facts rather than from personal prejudices. 

Alas for the age that shows consummate skill in al- 
_most everything except the interpretation of life! 


182 


RELIGION AND REASON 


Ready always to give answer to every man that asketh 
you a reason concerning the hope that is in you. 


—TI Peter 3:15. 


A great deal of the difficulty about religion in a scien- 
tific age comes from misunderstandings engendered by 
extremists. On the one hand, some men desire to re- 
duce religion to mere rationalism. On the other, men 
desire to debar reason. “They would treat even questions 
of historic fact as issues of faith. 

“There are two extremes,” wrote Pascal, “‘ to exclude 
reason and to admit only reason.” 

We must remember that mind is not the only thing in 
man and that pride of intellect is full of peril. Equally 
must we realize that Jesus’ Great Commandment calls 
on us to love God with the mind as well as with the 
heart and soul. 

Does not the word of our text give us the key to the 
right relationship between religion and reason? Religion 
is (in the partial definition of this aspect of it) a reason- 
able hope. It is not the undisciplined, fanciful longing 
of the troubled human soul. It is the tested and ap- 
proved response of the soul to God. 

The origin of religion is neither an intellectual argu- 
ment nor a cherished delusion. It is the formulated ex- 
pression of the interaction of intuition and experience. 
It is “ faith which is but hope grown wise.” 


183 


CAN PROPHECY BE CONTROLLED? 


Behold now, the words of the prophets declare good 
unto the King with one mouth: let thy word, I pray 
thee, be like the word of one of them, and speak thou 
good.—I Kings 22: 13. 


Ahab, King of Israel, was a bad man, but like all bad 
men he had certain good qualities in him. It is well that 
we should remember that any evil which endures must 
have some good mingled with it. 

Ahab was a pretty efficient organizer of the nation’s 
defenses, but like many other able men he was unable to 
put up with criticism. What he wanted was conformity 
to his will. And he made the mistake of thinking that 
he was not only King of Israel, but also head of the 
prophets. 

Well, of course he found prophets who were very ready 
to prophesy as he wished concerning his expedition with 
Jehoshaphat against Syria. ‘There are always men who 
will freely bestow the sanctions of religion on the popular 
cause. “They keep their feet on the earth—which is sen- 
sible—but they keep also an ear to the ground—which 
may be good politics but is certainly not prophecy. 

Among the so-called prophets of Israel Micaiah alone 
opposed Ahab in this plan. ‘Thus he incurred the enmity 
of the subservient prophets and was imprisoned by Ahab. 
But later events showed who was the prophet and who 
were the flatterers. 

How foolish to try to control prophecy! The only 
value in prophecy lies in its direct message from God 
through the lips of a sane and fearless man. 


184 


TOLERANCE THROUGH SYMPATHY 


For he loveth our nation, and himself built us our 
synagogue.—Luke 7: 5. 


On the now desolate site of Capernaum, I have seen 
the rich ruins of that splendid synagogue which a noble 
Roman soldier built for his Jewish friends and neigh- 
bours. Would that I could see the man himself,—that 
peaceful warrior, that godly heathen, that generous lover 
whose affections overcame his prejudices, that humble 
seeker after truth, of whom Jesus said, “I have not 
found so great faith, no, not in Israel.”’ 

Here in this chapter St. Luke gives us two pictures of 
that lovely virtue, tolerance through sympathy. First, 
the Centurion, who had not only a kind heart but also a 
big good deed for people of an alien race. Second, 
Christ, who asked no questions about creeds, but recog- 
nized in this man the vital power of that loving faith in 
God and man by which the world is overcome. 

‘There are two kinds of tolerance. 

The one comes from indifference. It is a supercilious 
thing. “No matter what you believe,” it seems to say, 
“you will have to take the consequences. “That does not 
affect me, because I have the right creed.” 

The other kind of tolerance comes through sympathy. 
“You and I do not profess the same doctrines,” it says, 
“ but we seek the same end,—the glory of God and the 
good of our fellow-men. Our points of view, our cir- 
cumstances, our educations have been different. ‘The 
road is not easy. Let us help one another.” 


185 


MORAL-BLINDNESS 


Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; 
that put darkness for light, and light for darkness. 
—Isaiah 5:20. 


Just as we have the phenomenon of color-blindness, so 
do we have moral-blindness,—the failure of the individ- 
ual to distinguish between good and evil, right and 
wrong. 

The doctrine of the Inner Light is true; but there are 
exceptions. “[hat’s why it is necessary to appeal not only 
to the individual’s innate conscience, but also to an 
external standard. 

Any one of us is liable to go seriously wrong if we 
rely solely on the light within us. “ If the light that is 
in thee be darkness, how great is the darkness.” 

The trouble that many of us bring on ourselves is 
that we deliberately or carelessly destroy the original 
sensitiveness of our consciences. 

You cannot indefinitely go on smothering the voice of 
conscience and find it still protesting with the same 
vigour. You cannot continue calling evil good without 
destroying the sensitive discrimination necessary to moral 
judgments. 

The man who follows that course will ultimately be 
calling the Cosmos a chaos because there is moral dis- 
order in his heart. 

For you cannot possibly see things as they are for your- 
self if the windows of your soul distort or discolor your 
view. 


186 


CALAMITY-HOWLERS ARE NOT PROPHETS 


It displeased Jonah exceedingly, and he was angry. 
—Jonah 4:1. 


Jonah was disgruntled because his prediction that 
Nineveh would be destroyed in forty days was not ful- 
filled. He quite overlooked the fact that the repentance 
of the people had averted their imminent peril. In other 
words, he was more interested in his own reputation as a 
“prophet ” than in the purpose for which God had sent 
him to predict the disaster of the wicked city, 1. e., to 
fend off the destruction by bringing the people to turn 
from their evil ways. 

There are, alas! plenty of modern “ prophets” like 
Jonah. ‘They are not true prophets speaking of the con- 
sequences of evil, with the purpose and hope of turning 
men unto salvation. “They are mere foretellers of doom, 
satisfied only if their self-esteem is enhanced by the ful- 
filment of their predictions. “The motive behind their 
activities is the petty hope that some day they will be able 
to say, “I told you so.” 

The only satisfaction that a true prophet finds in 
pointing out the destruction that must issue from evil 
conduct, is to add force to his idea for righteousness. 

It will be a great day for the world when we learn to 
turn a deaf ear to the selfish calamity-howlers and re- 
member the saving purpose of God. 


¢ 


187 


TOO MUCH COMPANY 


Jesus... withdrew again into the mountain himself 


alone.—John 6:15. 


Even the most social of souls must escape at times 
from human company. ‘The continuous presence of other 
people—yes, even those rare souls who know how to 
obliterate themselves—is fatal to the growth of the Soul. 

Jesus’ love for men was deep and steadfast and invin- 
cible. Yet He frequently withdrew for solitary com- 
munion with God. Even when he wanted the support of 
Peter and James and John in the Garden of Gethsemane 
He wanted them to abide here and watch while He went 
forward a little to pray. “There are things that the soul 
must face alone, though it be comforting to have friends 
near by. 

One of the self-imposed handicaps of many people in 
this sociable age is that of too much company. We have 
not enough friends, who always know when even their 
beloved presence is an intrusion on the soul. And we 
have too many acquaintances with whom we pass the 
time but advance no further upon the mysterious journey 
of our life. 

To be continuously with company breeds a shallow 
and thoughtless wit. It issues in the most terrible of all 
loneliness, soul-loneliness. It stunts the soul which, to 
grow, must stand at times alone with God. 


188 


TOO MUCH SPECIALIZATION 


Where there is no vision, the people cast off restraint. 
—Proverbs 29: 18. 


The inclination of people to go to extremes is the 
direct result of lack of vision. To “ see life steadily and 
see it whole” is the first requirement of sane and bal- 
anced action. 

But it is not a characteristic of many people today. 
Weare much inclined to run everything into the ground. 
Even good things are carried so far that they often be- 
come evil. We forget how readily any virtue may turn 
into a vice when it is stressed to the exclusion of all other 
virtues. 

Make no mistake about it. I do not advocate the 
promulgation of a neat little policy of moderation. The 
wishy-washy fellow who is “ neither fish, flesh, fowl, nor 
good red herring”’ is a poor ideal for any age. But I 
leave it to the judgment of careful observers of our day 
whether most of us are not weakened in one way or an- 
other because we are extremists. 

No doubt our age is rightly an age of specialization. 
We must divide our work according to our qualifications 
in order to share the benefits of civilization. But we 
must see to it that in being specialists we exercise care 
lest we become something less than men. While we 
labour in our special departments of the world’s work let 
us not fail to live in the fulness of life which God has 
given to us, 


189 


TOO MUCH ORGANIZATION 


Woe to them that go down to Egypt for help, and rely 
on horses, and trust in chariots because they are many, 
and in horsemen because they are very strong, but they 
look not unto the Holy One of Israel, neither seek 
Jehovah !—Isaiah 31: 1. 


There is a feeling abroad today that the main need of 
our age is improved organization. In government, in 
business, in social life, in the Church, organization occu- 
pies a great deal of time. 

It goes without saying that organization is needed. 
But are we not inclined to look a little too exclusively at 
the technique of our various social procedures and neglect 
the dynamic without which even the best schemes must 
fail? 

Of what use is a plan for co- operation unless we have 
men of good-will to work in it? 

Where will a business organization get you without 
honest and faithful workers to fill the positions? 

How can government proceed unless the men who ad- 
minister the offices are honourable as well as capable? 

Can the Church make disciples of all nations by setting 
up a programme and apportioning various duties to her 
members if they lack the dynamic of personal conviction ? 

Of course the real object behind organization is to in- 
crease the freedom, power and happiness of individuals. 
But it cannot accomplish this if we attend so closely to 
the plans that we forget the nature of the individual and 
the source of his real greatness. 

Organization is important. But is not even the best 
organization impotent unless it is permeated by the 
Spirit of God who alone gives strength and grace to men? 


190 


FIRST-HAND RELIGION 


N ow we believe, not because of thy speaking: for we 
have heard for ourselves, and know that this is indeed the 
Saviour of the world.—John 4: 42. 


That worldly creature, the Samaritan woman, with 
whom Jesus spoke at the well, did a fine thing when she 
brought her fellow townsmen to see and hear Jesus for 
themselves. In a way it was a most natural thing to do. 
And perhaps for that very reason it was fine. It was the 
sort of thing a child would do. ‘‘ Come and see,” she 
cried and her enthusiasm was contagious and they went. 

As a result they became believers—not at second- 
hand, on her say-so, but at first-hand, from their own 
experience. 

That is the method of spiritual religion. It consists 
not in telling people about Christ and then stopping 
there, but in telling about him so that men and women 
shall go to him for themselves and know and believe at 
first-hand. 

After all belief in the final sense is a personal word. 
And so also must be the authority on which it is founded. 
There is little use in anybody else telling me what I must 
believe. I must be taken to the source from which the 
belief springs. Because until my belief becomes personal 
it is nothing but an expression of external conformity. 
It cannot affect my soul until the witness of other people 
is corroborated in my own experience. 

The final verification of Christianity rests in the fact 
that Christ is a living and present Saviour whom we may 
know and love and follow today, 


I9I 


WEEDS THAT STRANGLE 


And the cares of the world, and the deceitfulness of 
riches, choke the word.—Matthew 13: 22. 


What Jesus says about the good seed of the gospel, in 
the Parable of the Sower, is true of many other good 
things,—ideals, resolutions, plans, convictions of duty, 
purposes of improvement. 

Life and human nature are full of weeds which are 
ready to overgrow and strangle down the plants of worth 
and value. 

You cannot reforest a barren region with noble trees, 
unless you protect them in their youth against the en- 
croachments of the scrub and the underbrush. 

I have seen many a fine rose-bush choked to death by 
bind-weed. 

I knew a boy whose education was stifled because his 
father gave him two automobiles and a motor-boat. 

I knew a man who could never accomplish anything 
seriously worth while because he was always tinkering 
with trifles. I knew another man whose house was so 
full of rare and costly bric-a-brac that he was a slave to 
the care of his collections. 

Unless we know the difference between flowers and 
weeds we are not fit to take care of a garden. 

It is not enough to have truth planted in our minds. 
We must learn and labour to keep the ground clear of 
thorns and briars, follies and perversities, which have a 
wicked propensity to choke the word of life. 


192 


RELIGION WITHOUT FAITH 


So these nations feared Jehovah, and served their 
graven images; their children likewise, and their chil- 
dren's children.—II Kings 17: 41. 


The Assyrian conquest of Israel and the importation 
of immigrants from many nationalities into Samaria was 
part of a deliberate policy to disintegrate the Northern 
Kingdom. How well it succeeded appears in the con- 
tradictory statement that the inhabitants both feared Je- 
hovah and served their graven images, and that these 
customs became hereditary. 

Of course this meant that their religion was no longer 
a vital affair. It was imitative. Observing the customs 
followed by people of other religions, they absorbed a 
little from this and that into their own practice. 

But wasn’t that a permissible thing to do? Hasn’t this 
been the history of all religions in the world? . 

Religions that spread show themselves adaptable to 
new conditions and capable of development and modifica- 
tion. ‘That indeed is a law of life. 

But, by the same token, when men try to include in 
their religion elements that deny its very validity, or 
when the customs of people around them have more in- 
fluence on them than their own convictions, then is their 
religion moribund. 

Surely in the depths of all honourable spiritual belief 
there is a meeting-ground for all men of good-will. But 
what can justify the religionist with his carefully-glued- 
together faith composed of selected observances from 
many religions in none of which he believes? 


193 


WRONG WAYS OF DOING RIGHT THINGS 


Our wrestling is not against flesh and blood. 
—Ephesians 6: 12. 


I have been reading an account of an attendance con- 
test recently held between two Bible classes. In one the 
attendance rose during the four Sundays of the contest 
from 260 to 681, and in the other from 343 to 552.- 

One class, says the magazine account, “ resorted to the 
personal invitation and door-bell plan” while the other 
“brought to their aid street parades, transparencies, 
brass bands, etc. “The work of both these classes is 
noteworthy.” 

Noteworthy of what? 

Religion cannot permanently flourish as a form of 
competition. It must be an enlistment of life. What I 
want to know is: What are those classes doing now, 
several months after the competition ? 

Possibly good came out of this strenuous effort. I do 
not know. Publicity only records the contest. But was 
there not inevitable damage done? Do you not lower 
your cause by the employment of methods contrary to 
the spirit of what you seek to accomplish? | 

Can you picture Jesus running a competition with the 
Scribes and Pharisees? His disciples dwindled as he 
walked the way of the cross. But did that reveal failure, 
—or success ? 


194 


— ee ee 


——. ~~. * 


THE RIGHT USE OF MONEY 


The love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. 
—I Timothy 6: 10. 


Few men fail to observe the advantages of money in 
this world, but few have grace to make a proper use of 
its ‘power. 

It should be carefully noted that the abuse of money 
is not by any means the exclusive fault of those who have 
large sums of it. In fact the man who goes out to raise 
money for some benevolent plan is usually surprised at 
the persistence of men of wealth in evaluating the pre- 
cise nature of the service which their gifts may render. 
After all, there is no more justification for a man of 
large means to be careless of his money than for his 
poorer brother. 

The real root of the evil that so often gathers about 
money is not to be found in money itself, or in the 
amount of the money. It is to be found in the nature of 
the men who deal with it. ‘The love of money—not 
money itself—is a root of all kinds of evil. 

Over a doorway in an old Dutch banking house is 
this inscription in French: 

“The Golden Age is the age in which gold does not 
rule.” 

The value of money lies in its control by spiritual pur- 
pose. ‘To desire it for its own sake is to destroy all 
human values, 


195 


A RESTFUL YOKE 


Take my yoke upon you... and ye shall find rest 
unto your souls—Matthew 11: 29. 


As in most vital truth there is an element of paradox 
in this invitation and promise of Jesus to his disciples. 

Where most of us make our mistake is in associating 
rest with comfort, ease, irresponsibility. We forget that 
not only does the hand, the mind and the foot need rest 
but also the soul needs rest. And especially we fail to 
perceive that there is no rest for the body until the soul 
be at rest. 

And the one place where the soul can rest is in the 
yoke of Christ. 

Truly does the psalmist say: “ There is no rest for the 
wicked.” How can there be with his soul restless and 
unhappy within him? 

But let a man accept cheerfully the responsibilities of 
discipleship, let him walk under the easy yoke of Christ, 
and what a miracle is wrought! Shall he find weariness 
of body and mind? Certainly. Shall he perhaps suffer? 
Very likely. But shall he find rest unto his soul? The 
answer is unanimous. It is far better from every point 
of view to endure anything rather than to suffer the 
intolerable anguish of a restless soul. 

If our age is an unhappy age it is just because we are 
neglecting the soul’s rest and because we need to learn 
that no peace can be found apart from the soul’s demand 
for the restful yoke of Christ, 


196 


AN EVIDENCE OF RELIGION 
What do ye more than others?—Matthew 5: 47. 


The great characteristic of spiritual religion is that its 
first concern is a transformed humanity, men reborn, re- 
made as God would have us to be. Its object is not to 
make men, aS we are in our own wisdom, more com- 
fortable or more powerful in the world. The goal is not 
the remolding of this sorry scheme of things more nearly 
to our hearts’ desire, as a certain pessimistic philosopher 
once sighed. It is rather to transform all men, beginning 
with ourselves, into the likeness of God’s man, Jesus 
Christ. 

Naturally this purpose involves conflict with every 
custom, habit, institution of men that stands in its way. 
And the method of procedure is the most radical method 
in the world, i. e., the winning of individuals and the 
using of them singly and in organized groups, for bring- 
ing all men under the influence of God’s transforming 
grace. 

Worldly-minded men whose material profits or plans 
are affected combat spiritual religion often with great 
astuteness. “Their most successful opposition today seems 
to lie in blurring religious convictions and toning down 
the sharp definitions of religious conduct. 

If you and I count ourselves religious men, are we dis- 
tinguishable from worldly men in our home life, our 
business affairs, our amusements? Or are we nominal 
and therefore traitorous disciples of Jesus Christ ? 


“ 





SPIRITUAL RESILIENCY 


A righteous man falleth seven times, and riseth up again; 
But the wicked are overthrown by calamity. 
—Proverbs 24: 16. 


Trouble and disaster in this world are not reserved for 
those whose purpose is evil. Misfortune besets the right- 
eous as well as the wicked. A church will burn as easily 
as the stronghold of a robber. A missionary of the cross 
is as vulnerable to bullets as a bandit. 

But there is considerable difference in the effect of dis- 
aster on righteous and wicked men. Nor is the reason 
for this far to seek. 

The confidence of the wicked man depends on his own 
strength and on the uncertain element of evil in other 
men. He must always be haunted with insecurity and 
doubt. Any genuine calamity breaks his heart. 

The confidence of the righteous man is in God. He 
himself is but God’s servant believing that God’s will 
must prevail. ‘Therefore he rises from every fall and 
takes up his task again. 

There is no more inspiring observation to be made on 
men than just this contrast between the resiliency of 
those who suffer disaster in the service of God and the 
deadness of those who fall in the promotion of evil. It 
is one of the clear indications of the ultimate triumph of 
good over evil. 


198 


MINDING OUR OWN BUSINESS 


Peter ... saith, Lord, and what shall this man do? 
Jesus saith unto him, . . . what is that to thee? Follow 
thou me.—John 21: 21-22. 


Most of us are fearless critics of other men’s conduct 
and meticulous denouncers of other men’s sins. “To mind 
other people’s business is a common pastime of our day. 
There are very few of us who are not deeply concerned 
over the reform of—somebody else. 

Now there is no more lovely experience than to feel 
the personal interest of a friend in you and your affairs. 
But there is no more irritating experience than to be 
aware of unfriendly meddling and prying into your pri- 
vate affairs. And it must be frankly said that the spirit 
of much reform today is of the latter type. “The sense of 
self-satisfaction that it gives the reformer far outweighs 
the aid it brings the object of reform. Its method of 
effecting contact with human nature is crude and bun- 
gling. Again and again it defeats its own ends (es- 
timable as they often are) by its crass stupidity. 

A girl of the younger generation said to me in an 
aggrieved tone concerning a zealous young reformer who 
had seized the first opportunity of personal acquaintance- 
ship to offer advice: “‘ I wouldn’t have minded if he had 
first taken the trouble to become a friend of mine, and 
then criticised me.” 

After all, the man who cannot respect personality is 
hardly qualified to be listened to on any subject. We 
must make room for the most Christian doctrine of 
minding our own business. 


199 


COSTLINESS OF RELIGION 


Ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for 
me with all your heart-—Jeremiah 29: 13. 


As surely as religion is the most valuable thing in the 
world it is the most costly. It asks of a man all that he 
has and is—no less. Complete self-consecration is the 
one and inescapable condition. 

The price always remains the same. 

One of the reasons why we find ourselves with such 
shocking substitutes is because we are looking for a bar- 
gain at a lesser price. 

We would like the comforts of religion but we want 
to withhold the cost of complete consecration. 

We would like to perform occasional service but not 
have it interfere with our accustomed manner of life. 

Always there is some little reservation that we want to 
make and consequently we find ourselves in possession 
not of genuine religion but of some substitute which in- 
variably fails us at the critical moment. 

But if a man pay the full price of giving all that he 
has and is to God the miracle occurs, for he receives back 
not only his own life, but his own life transformed and 
empowered by God. Religion is now the most real thing 
in the world to him, for he finds it in his own life. 

And who can say that any price is too great to pay for 
that blessed experience ? 


200 


PICTURES IN THE MIND 


Son of man, hast thou seen what the elders of the 
house of Israel do in the dark, every man in his chambers 
of imagery? For they say, Jehovah seeth us not. . 

—Ezekiel 8: 12. 


It is a strange power, this ability to bring before the 
eyes of the mind pictures which only you yourself may 
see. It is full of deadly peril and of great good—accord- 
ing to the choice of pictures. 

At first it is only a matter which concerns yourself but 
sooner or later the whole affair will come to the light and 
be seen of men. From God it is never hidden. 

When a man of unblemished reputation and exemplary 
conduct is suddenly discovered, to the horror of his asso- 
ciates, involved in some disgraceful act, the chances are 
great that his chambers of imagery are hung with pre- 
liminary sketches of the deed. 

But when a man stands patient and unmovable amid 
dreadful temptations and hardships, be sure that his 
secret mind is hung with scenes of peace and hope and 
courage. 

For that inner and supposedly secret chamber is the 
source of the outward and revealing act. 

How important then it is that the imaginings of the 
heart be concerned with good and not with evil! 

Perhaps, then, one of the most practical things a man 
can do with his holidays and leisure time is to store his 
mind with pictures of beauty and truth. By discrimi- 
nating thought, conversation, observation, he may lay up 
hidden sources of strength and grace. 


201 


SAVING POWER OF MEMORY 
I remembered the word of the Lord.—Acts 11: 16. 


Peter found himself in an unexpected and strange 
situation. Brought up in the belief that God was ex- 
clusively concerned with people of his own race, he was 
suddenly confronted with the clear evidence of God’s 
interest in the Gentiles. Of course Peter was all at sea 
in his mind. ‘Then memory came to his rescue. He re- 
called the word of Jesus about the baptism of the Holy 
Spirit and recognized that he was faced with the dilemma 
of accepting or rejecting God himself. Of course, being 
an honest man, Peter accepted God and rejected the 
racial tradition in which he had been born. 

But do you think Peter could have done this if he had 
not remembered the word of the Lord? Jesus had pre- 
pared the way for Peter’s decision. It was the memory 
of his word that saved Peter from utter confusion in 
that perilous moment. 

So it is with many of us in our crises. “The memory 
of the word of some wise and gracious teacher comes to 
our rescue, and the new and bewildering experience in 
which we stand assumes a familiar and orderly aspect. 
We are set free from fear and panic and enabled to act 
with sanity and wisdom. Espécially is this true for those 
whose memory is full of the words of Christ. 


202 


CHATTY RELIGION 


The fear of Jehovah is the beginning of wisdom. 
—Psalm 111: 10. 


I cannot rid myself of a feeling of anxiety about a 
tendency in our Churches today to make religion an easy 
and familiar thing in a rather vulgar sense. ‘The tone of 
many sermons one hears and reads about is not conversa- 
tional, direct and simple—all of which things are highly 
desirable if religion is to really affect the people—but it 
is chatty. There is a slipshod, easy-going atmosphere to 
many Church services and meetings that ill-becomes the 
mighty purpose of the Church. ‘There is a jocose smart- 
ness about talk on themes of eternal significance that 
destroys the reverential spirit in which alone religion is 
possible. 

Perhaps the fault (with notable exceptions) is most 
apparent in Church advertising and publicity. The en- 
deavor to catch the eye in newspapers and on bulletin 
boards frequently leads to statements that are a distinct 
handicap to the spread of religion—whatever effect they 
may have on attendance statistics at any particular 
Church. 

Religion must be simply expressed for the understand- 
ing of the people. It is not homeliness but vulgarity that 
injures it. Surely it is only at the peril of our own souls 
that we neglect the solemn reverential fear of the Lord 
which should be the beginning of all our words and activ- 
ities. Chatty religion is impossible if we have any ade- 
quate knowledge of God. 


203 


MEANS AND ENDS 


Combining spiritual things with spiritual words. 
—I Corinthians 2: 13. 


There is no more pernicious doctrine in all the world 
than that which teaches that the end justifies the means. 
Marking the breakdown of personal morality, it indicates 
the ultimate destruction of all that man holds dear. 

It is the most perfect illustration of atheism, for if 
man, by the conscious, deliberate doing of evil may pro- 
duce good, then is the earth still waste and void, nor has 
God ever moved upon the face of “ The Waters.” 

Most of us realize this truth in the abstract, but fail to 
perceive it in certain particular instances. Believing our 
goal to be desirable, we are not much inclined to hesitate 
at using whatever means may be necessary to reach it. 
‘That attitude carries a fine air of conviction with it, but 
in the realm of the mind it signifies chaos. 

Perhaps the most obvious illustration in our day lies in 
the use of speech and writing. How often alas! do we 
speak or write in a manner and with a use of language 
that defeats our avowed spiritual purpose! 

Preachers labour industriously for the Kingdom of 
God, but defeat their purpose by the use of denunciatory 
and complaining speech. 

Articles on behalf of some reform are written and 
‘“‘literature!”’ is disseminated which, whatever their 
power in the realm of the things which are seen and 
temporal, bring defeat to the spiritual cause. 

Isn’t it about time to combine our treatment of spir- 
itual things with spiritual words? 


204 


ON BEING A MAN 
We also are men of like passions with you.—Acts 14: 15. 


There is something great about this declaration of Paul 
and Barnabas. ‘When the crowd, overwhelmed with 
wonder at the cure of the lame man, worshipped the 
Apostles as gods they promptly denied the silly imputa- 
tion of divinity. 

And yet how easy and natural to have accepted the 
tribute. “They might even have persuaded themselves 
that it would be good publicity for their cause. 

But no; these were plain honest disciples. “They pre- 
ferred being known as men of like passions with all 
others. Around themselves they drew no veil of mystery; 
they accepted no personal tributes of flattering popularity. 
‘They were men; the glory and honour were Christ’s. 

A little later their enemies from other cities following 
them stoned Paul with the consent and possibly with the 
help of those who had desired a moment before to wor- 
ship them. Perhaps if they had received the attribute of 
divinity Paul might have been spared. But no pose was 
possible for them. “They knew that they were men. 

To accept the popular tribute of being more than a 
man has wrecked many a good career, but it has never 
yet produced a superman. 

It is important to know what a man is and to realize 
that you are one. 

The first condition of achievement in any career is to 
be a man—neither a god, nor a beast, nor a machine. 


205 


CALCULATED RELIGION 


I fast twice in the week; I give tithes of all that I get. 
—Luke 18: 12. 


The Pharisee who made this declaration was both 
pious and generous according to the external standard. 
In fasting and giving he exceeded the requirements of 
his law. 

‘The trouble with him was not in what he did, but in 
his attitude toward it. He was offering a careful report 
on his religious practices as a justification for self-com- 
placency. He was boasting, but thought he was praying. 
Small wonder that he makes such a sorry figure beside 
the despised publican who, despite his acknowledged sin, 
at least recognized penitence as the first approach to God. 

For religion cannot be reduced to carefully calculated 
performances by which a man is entitled to declare his 
rating before God. Such an attempt reveals a total 
ignorance of the nature and requirements of religion. 
Religion can never be measured by its practices, though 
its sincerity may be witnessed by deeds. 

Is there not a danger today lest in the zeal of organ- 
ized religion we fall into calculating our benevolences, 
recording our religious observances, and neglecting the 
penitent cry of the heart which alone can bring us into 
the presence of God? 

Surely it is no gain to a needy world to be filled with 
religious observances, or even social service, if they are to 
be rendered null and void by a pharisaic heart. 


206 


USING YOUR HEAD 


If the iron be blunt, and one do not whet the edge, 
then must he put to more strength: but wisdom is profit- 
able to direct.—Ecclesiastes 10: 10. 


“ Nothing,” said Carlyle, “is more terrible than ac- 
tivity without insight.” 

The tragedy of life is not hardship, labour, suffering; 
but meaninglessness, emptiness, effort without objective. 
The fever-racked man who aimlessly passes through the 
motions of his accustomed daily conduct is a pitiable ob- 
ject. How much more so those whose daily conduct is 
merely the expression of the fever of life. 

Only the man whose activity is directed by a great 
purpose can be fundamentally happy. Life easily de- 
generates into the mere dance of death unless it be in- 
telligently directed. Behind the expenditure of the pre- 
cious energy of life there must be the highest degree of 
wisdom. Otherwise that energy which can never be 
recaptured is wasted. 

This is no question of efficiency in the narrow sense. 
No lazy desire to avoid effort, as an end in itself. No 
selfish desire to increase power for private profit. It is 
merely the recognition of the infinite value of the passing 
phenomenon of strength for spiritual purposes. 

Until a man has learned to direct his energies in ac- 
cordance with heavenly wisdom he is only beating the 
air with feverish but futile effort. 

To spend a few minutes sharpening the axe will not 
only spare an aching back, but it will make the job 
pleasant and perhaps afford a moment or so for reflection. 


207 


THE WAY OF THE CROSS 


Insomuch as ye are partakers of Christ's sufferings, 
rejoice; that at the revelation of his glory also ye may 
rejoice with exceeding joy.—lI Peter 4: 13. 


The New ‘Testament presentation of Christianity is 
continually startling men with its frank recognition of 
difficulties. Here is no endeavour to conceal the cost of 
being a Christian. Here is honest, direct facing of the 
requirements, and exuberant confidence in the ultimate 
outcome. 

We are told plainly, in many places, that Christ died 
for men, yet not for the object of saving men from sufter- 
ing and death, but for the purpose of spiritual salvation. 

The Christian invitation is not to escape suffering by 
following Christ, but to become cheerful partakers of his 
sufferings, that we may also rejoice exceedingly at the 
revelation of his glory. 

The trouble with our Christianity is that it is easy- 
going. We are afflicted with an unreasonable cultural 
optimism. We are not yet fully aware that Christianity, 
unless it is to leave out Jesus and his earliest disciples, is 
a fellowship of suffering and not a mere profit-sharing 
plan. 

Insofar as our religion is showing itself inadequate 
today it is for this reason. On the one hand it is futile 
to present the teaching of Jesus apart from his person and 
life. And on the other, it is inane to talk of following 
him without entering into his sufferings. “The way of the 
cross was an integral element of Jesus’ life. In human 
measure it must be shared by his disciples, 


208 


THE COST OF ETERNAL LIFE 


Teacher, what good thing shall I do, that I may have 
eternal life?—-Matthew 19: 106. 


The rich young man was in a serious mood. He did 
not ask this question that he might prove himself entitled 
to eternal life by the performance of some prescribed 
deed. He was already a good man, in the narrow mean- 
ing of the term. But he knew in his heart that some- 
thing was wrong since he lacked the consciousness of 
eternal life. 

Jesus, physician of the souls of men, diagnosed his one 
trouble as the love of great possessions and advised the 
prompt removal of the obstruction by the sale of his 
goods and generous giving to the poor. The young man 
was unwilling to accept the prescription and went away 
sorrowful. He wanted eternal life—but not at that 
price. He felt the need of something beyond even his 
good manner of life, but he couldn’t quite make the 
sacrifice required to obtain it. 

How many of us find ourselves in that same situation! 

We live a decent life, but we experience the lack of 
that eternal life which we feel ought to be ours. Some- 
thing stands between us and our rightful heritage. But 
when it is pointed out to us, we cannot make the neces- 
sary sacrifice. 

If we do not prize eternal life above every other thing 
in the world, it is evident that we are incapable of 
having it. 


209 


COMMUNICATING KNOWLEDGE 


The Lord’s servant must... be.......apt to teach. 
—II Timothy 2: 24. 


It is quite one thing to know certain facts or hold 
certain convictions and quite another thing to be able to 
communicate them to others. A man may know his sub- 
ject thoroughly and yet be a poor teacher. ‘The ability 
to teach is a particular gift requiring special attention for 
its development. 

Take this idea in its simplest form: i. e., asking the 
way. 

You are travelling in the back country and desire in- 
formation about the road. How far is it to such-and- 
such a place, and what forks are there in the road? 
Suppose you are inquiring of a man who has been many 
times over the way, even so, the chances are good that he 
can’t tell you the actual distance or that he will omit 
some important item in describing your route. “Take him 
with you over the road and he’ll guide you without hesi- 
tation. But ask him to tell you how to travel it for 
yourself,—and that is another story. 

Most of us have this same kind of difficulty in the 
primary business of religion. We find it hard to com- 
municate our experience to others. 

Perhaps we need in the first place to clarify and or- 
ganize our ideas so that they will be communicable. 

Perhaps we need to put ourselves by sympathy in the 
other man’s place so that we can speak to his require- 
ments instead of meandering around in inadequate remi- 
niscences of the way. 


210 


AM I NEEDED? 


Who knoweth whether thou art not come to the king- 
dom for such a time as this?—Esther 4: 14. . 


When Esther, the exiled Jewish maiden, became by 
a sudden chance queen and consort to King Ahasuerus, 
Mordecai, her foster father, saw in the influence of her 
position the one hope of foiling the plot against his fellow 
Jews. 

It was a perilous role on which Mordecai besought the 
young queen to enter, but his knowledge of human nature 
was revealed in the final words of his appeal: ‘ Who 
knoweth whether thou art not come to the kingdom for 
such a time as this? ” 

The challenge to usefulness was irresistible. Esther 
accepted it: “I will go in unto the king, which is not 
according to the law: and if I perish, I perish.” 

‘The same quality appears all through sound and sane 
human nature. ‘The surest challenge to heroic action in 
any human being is the conviction that he is needed to do 
some particular thing. With that assurance most men or 
women will face anything, endure anything. 

The head of a great school for nurses retired recently 
from active service with these remarks upon the begin- 
ning of her career: 

‘““I suddenly began to feel myself a needed person. 
There was a whole hospital full of sick people who 
wanted to get back to work and healthy living. There 
were suffering and misery to relieve. ‘This feeling of 
being needed gives the nurse or any one else the finest 
satisfaction in life.” 

Are you a needed person? If not, can’t you become 
one? 


DO IT NOW 
Straightway he called them.—Mark 1:20. 


It is said that one of the striking characteristics of that 
great and good man, Sir William Osler, was his prompt- 
ness in following up every purpose that his fertile brain 
produced. He was assiduous in looking up information 
when anything unfamiliar came to his attention. He 
was constantly making memoranda for doing things 
which he could not immediately attend to. He was 
prompt in carrying out the good impulses that teemed in 
his generous heart. He never neglected worthy ideas, 
nor delayed the performance for which they called. 

A quotation often on his lips was this from Macbeth: 


“The flighty purpose never is o’ertook 
Unless the deed go with it.” 


Is this not one of the secrets of greatness? Certainly 
it is not a common characteristic of men. 

We have an impulse to send a note to a friend. But 
postpone it and perhaps forget it. 

We encounter a noble idea in conversation or a book. 
But let it slide through our leaky minds. 

We hear or read a strange word or idea. Instead of 
turning to the dictionary or other book of reference or 
making a note for later investigation, we let it go. 

Is it any wonder that our minds grow dull or that we 
are oppressed with the sense of unfulfilled purposes? 
Greatness may not be within our reach, but mental 
growth is. And no one need be oppressed by the haunt- 
ing memory of unaccepted opportunities. 


212 


THE END SURE, THE TIME UNCERTAIN 
It is appointed unto men once to die.-—Hebrews 9: 27. 


The one thing that is absolutely sure in our earthly 
life is that it must end in that mysterious change which 
we call death. No possible escape from this conclusion! 
No other way on or out! 

The heart which has pumped the blood through our 
bodies so steadily will cease to work. ‘The eyes which 
have looked upon so many things will be darkened. The 
lips which have uttered our thoughts and feelings will be 
sealed with silence. ‘This is “ the unexempt condition of 
our mortal frailty.” 

It would seem as if such an inevitable end must cast 
a shadow upon our whole existence. But not so does the 
Christian faith interpret it. It is a stimulus to life while 
we live, because although the end is sure the time is un- 
certain. Make the best of every day of grace. 

Death does not annihilate. After this cometh the 
judgment of the wise and holy God which we must pre- 
pare to meet. Beyond this mortal being Christ lives, who 
bore our sins on the cross, and who shall appear to them 
that wait for him, unto salvation. 

Let us remember death, but fear it not! 


213 


THE PRACTICE OF FREEDOM 
For freedom did Christ set us free-—Galatians 5: 1. 


Nothing is more important for a man to understand 
than what it means to be free. Liberty, like all things 
worth having, is a dangerous gift. It may lead us to 
heights of undreamed bliss. It may thrust us into the 
deepest of dungeons. Everything depends on whether 
we exercise or abuse freedom. 

Individualism run riot is not freedom. Disregard of 
all convention may become enslavement just as much as 
stupid conventionality. “To do what you please may lead 
to the worst of all imprisonments—self-enslavement. 
Like every virtue, freedom is closely shadowed by a vice. 
That is the real meaning of the old saying: “ Eternal 
vigilance is the price of liberty.” 

But if we are to be free we must not only avoid the 
abuse of freedom; we must exercise freedom. For liberty 
is not an abstract entity to be captured and held between 
the thumb and fingers. It is a transforming virtue in a 
man to be exercised or at once lost. 

If you have been set free, show it in life: think, speak, 
act asa free man. It is for this purpose that Christ sets 
men free,—that we may live beyond reach of fear and 
favour. 


214 


WHAT WOULD YOU DO? 
I 


If thou hast run with the footmen, and they have 
wearied thee, then how canst thou contend with horses? 
—Jeremiah 12:5. 


Suppose something out of the ordinary hum-drum of 
life happened to you. Suppose you were jerked up to 
face a sudden danger, or caught in an unexpected diffi- 
culty, or subjected to an unusual trial. Suppose a real 
crisis, a final test of your courage and quality, raised its 
head above the walls of commonplace which guard our 
everyday life. How would you behave? 

“‘ Ah,” you say, “ these are mere imaginations, not real 
practical questions. Why cross the bridge before we 
come to it? We can’t tell what we would do in a case 
that has not yet come to us.” 

But you see, as the French proverb says, “It is the 
unexpected that always happens.” 

And then, if and when it comes, our behaviour is not 
a matter of chance. It is the result of a certain uncon- 
scious preparation and training. It is the act that reveals 
the inmost quality of the person. It is the acid test 
of character. 

“What would you do?” is no mere imaginary ques- 
tion. It means, what are you doing now? 

When we come to that uncrossed bridge it may be only 
a single narrow plank. Are we learning to walk straight 
and steady? 


215 


WHAT WOULD YOU DO? 
I] 


Except these abide in the ship, ye cannot be saved. 
—Acts 27:31. 


Perhaps you have already been in a shipwreck, or a 
near-shipwreck. If so, you know what you did,— 
whether you were a help or a hindrance, whether you 
played the coward or the encourager, whether you 
thought of yourself only or of your shipmates. 

In this classic wreck on the shore of Malta long ago, 
the calm little prisoner Paul was the hero. He did not 
care whether he lived or died; but he wanted the ship’s 
company, sailors, soldiers, and passengers to stick to- 
gether and do their best to pull through. “ Be of good 
cheer,” he said, “and let no man desert his post.” 

Isn’t it just the same in the daily hum-drum? Are we 
thinking only of ourselves, or also of the other people? 
Do we realize that their lives are just as dear to them as 
our lives are to us? 

Don’t scream when the car skids. You may demoral- 
ize the chauffeur, who wants to live as much as you do. 

If we can’t control ourselves we are hardly worth 
saving. 

- But self-control in the great emergencies is learned 
daily in the small affairs of life. “ For the good of the 
ship ” is the motto. 


216 


WHAT WOULD YOU DO? 
IIT 


And Barnabas took Mark with him and sailed away 
unto Cyprus.—Acts 15: 39. 


Paul and Barnabas had been good friends and had 
worked happily together in the Gospel. But Barnabas 
liked a man named John Mark and wanted to take him 
along with them. Paul thought, from experience, that 
he was a quitter, a slacker, and declined to take him. So 
Barnabas left Paul and sailed away with his own fa- 
vourite. Paul said nothing, but simply carried on with 
his work, choosing Silas as his helper and comrade. 

It is a thing that may happen to any of us,—to be 
deserted by a friend. It hurts. But the measure of the 
damage depends on how we take it. 

What does it matter whether we were right or the 
former friend was right? “The question is, are we strong 
enough to carry on without his loved support? 

There is no need to quarrel with him or blame him. 
Our refuge is in our work. He takes one road, we take 
another. ‘The goal is not changed. 

Wish him Godspeed. Push ahead. If you are really 
working in earnest your work will bring you new com- 
panions. Where the trails meet again your old friend 
will greet you with joy. Friendship does not mean uni- 
formity of opinion, but unity of purpose and mutual 
good will. 


217 


WHAT WOULD YOU DO? 
IV 


If riches increase, set not your heart thereon.—Psalm 
62: 10. 


Riches is a comparative term. Some millionaires feel 
poor beside the multimillionaires. Goldsmith’s country 
parson was 

‘“‘ Passing rich with forty pounds a year.” 
It is all a matter of relativity. I suppose that wealth 
reduced to its lowest terms means a bit more of income 
than the necessary outgo. 

Probably most of our readers have that, otherwise they 
could not have bought this book. 

But what would you do, friend, if you had a great deal 
more than that, if you were living on Easy Street? 

Suppose you got the big promotion which you are try- 
ing to earn. Suppose a fabulous legacy came to you. 
Suppose your careful investments turned out to be profit- 
able speculations and you moved from Easy Street to 
Aristocrat Avenue. What would you do? 

Judge by what you are doing now. Are you helpful 
to your less fortunate neighbours? Are you ready, not 
merely to drop a quarter into a beggar’s hat, but to give 
a dollar to a good cause? 

Remember the camel and the needle’s eye. Riches 
would ruin you, unless you had learned to be a good 
steward. 


218 


WHAT WOULD YOU DO? 
V 
Is any among you suffering? let him pray.—James 5: 13. 


Health is the normal condition of life, just as peace 
is the normal state of the world. But war comes to the 
world, and sickness comes to the individual. “The im- 
portant question is not why does it come, but how shall 
we meet it? 

To be seriously ill is trying to a real man or woman 
just because it is abnormal. It involves pain, it stops 
work, it abolishes pleasure, it destroys independence. 
How shall we bear it? 

Well, the answer depends on how we have learned to 
bear the small “slings and arrows” of fortune in the 
hum-drum of life. 

Has the sting of every insect seemed to us a personal 
outrage? Has every twinge of a nerve been like a cruel 
injustice? Have we resented every physical pain as 
something unmerited and hostile? ‘Then a serious illness 
may be a calamity to us, and nothing else. 

But if we have learned to take small aches and pains 
merely as “ rubs of the green,” if we have cherished the 
spirit of patience and hope in minor adversities, then a 
serious illness may be a blessing in disguise. 

It may teach us how frail we are. It may enable us 
to help the doctor and the nurse, God willing, to bring 
us back to life and work. ‘Therefore pray when you 
are sick, 


219 


WHAT WOULD YOU DO? 
VI 
The time of my departure is come.—II ‘Timothy 4: 6. 


No man can predict the hour of his death. ‘That it is 
coming is sure, but when it will arrive he does not know. 
Yet there are certain signs and omens which bring him 
face to face with it. 

Old age which has its limits: a disease for which the 
doctors know no remedy: a decree of the court (as in 
Paul’s case) against which there is no appeal. 

How shall we meet this stark fact? How shall we 
behave in this inexorable presence? 

Well, beloved, it seems to me that we must behave 
just as we have behaved in all the other crises of life,— 
any one of which might have been final. If we have 
gone through calamity and sickness and pain and separa- 
tion without flinching, why should we not go through 
this last door ? 

If I knew that I had to die next week, I should try to 
finish my work and put all affairs in order, to say a cheer- 
ful good-bye to those who love me, and then to slip out 
quietly on the new voyage trusting absolutely and only in 
our divine pilot, Jesus Christ. 


220 


MORAL SENSE 


Rejoice in Jehovah, O ye righteous: 
Praise is comely for the upright. 
—Psalm 33:1. 


In many ways ours is a restless, unhappy age. The 
reason is not hard to find. It lies in our lack of moral 
sense. On the one hand, many people see life and their 
relationship to God and man from a totally non-moral 
point-of-view. This pagan attitude receives such con- 
tinuous denunciation from the pulpit and the religious 
press that I may be pardoned for passing it by. It is an 
obvious evil. 

But there is another side to the picture. If some peo- 
ple are totally blind to moral issues, others are equally 
wrong in continually discovering moral issues where none 
exist. Such an attitude makes for a ridiculous degree of 
self-consciousness and produces a terribly inflamed con- 
dition of the conscience. 

For people suffering from this disease all the joy is 
gone out of life; and God, far from being our heavenly 
Father, is viewed as a mean and tricky task-master. 

There are lots of things in the world which are merely 
matters of taste or temperament. ‘They have nothing to 
do with morality. You will never find the meaning of 
religion and experience the joy of salvation if you go 
around measuring yourself and your neighbours with the 
imaginary foot-rule of manufactured moral issues. 


221 


OUR OBLIGATION TO THE PAST 


And these all, having had witness borne to them 
through their faith, received not the promise, God hav- 
ing provided some better thing concerning us, that apart 
from us they should not be made perfect.—Hebrews 
II: 39-40. 


Most of the attention we give to the past in these vig- 
orous but not very thoughtful days, is directed toward 
denying its authority over us. Doubtless it is true that 
the bald fact that things used to be thus and so, is not a 
sufficient reason why they should continue thus and so 
forever. But neither is it a sufficient reason why they 
should not so continue. Let us turn from this futile 
though popular discussion, which can never be decided in 
the abstract but only by the consideration of concrete 
cases, and let us consider the much neglected issue of our 
duty toward the past. 

Apart from us, the lives of the heroes of the past are 
incomplete, imperfect. It is a sobering thought. Not; 
what has the past done for us? but; what ought we to 
do for those who have lived and died before us? 

At first glimpse, it seems an absurd issue. What obli- 
gation have we got toward those who have lived their 
lives and are now dead? But the more we reflect on it 
the truer it appears. No man’s work is ever completed 
in his own lifetime. It goes on endlessly through the 
ages toward perfection; or it remains forever incomplete 
because the following generations are faithless to their 
duty. 


222 


PARENTS AND CHILDREN 


Honour thy father and mother (which is the first com- 
mandment with promise) ... And, ye fathers, provoke 
not your children to wrath.—Ephesians 6: 2, 4. 


We need to remind ourselves that this question of rela- 
tionship between the older and the younger generations 
is not a new thing; and that there are two sides to the 
question; and still further that all sensible people belong 
on both sides. 

Let us be frank without being partisan. ‘There can be 
no doubt about it, this commandment for children to 
honour their parents is primarily addressed to children 
and is not intended to afford support to tyrannical par- 
ents. Lest there be misunderstanding about it, Paul has 
added to the admonition, ‘‘ Children obey your parents,” 
the phrase “in the Lord.” He wishes it to be under- 
stood that he is not suggesting that anything a parent 
commands must invariably be law for his child. And 
this he supplements with a direct counsel to fathers not 
to provoke their children. 

From all of which it ought to be perfectly clear that 
parental discipline is founded, not on abstract ideas of 
authority, but on that superior ability to govern and 
teach which age and experience may reasonably be ex- 
pected to give. 

On the other hand, it is equally evident that the com- 
mandment definitely forbids children to set up their very 
limited experience and inadequate thought against their 
parents,—for reasons which any one, except spoilt chil- 
dren, will readily comprehend. 

Perhaps the solution lies in children and parents spend- 
ing more time together both in work and play, and thus 
learning to respect each other. 


223 


ONLOOKERS 
The people stood beholding.—Luke 23: 35. 


Before Christ on the cross the people were mere on- 
lookers. The terrible battle of man and God with sin 
and death was just a spectacle,—a sight to behold. 

There were of course a few who felt and understood 
and learned something in that dreadful hour. But the 
crowd, the general populace, were only onlookers. 
Doubtless at one moment or other a thrill of pity passed 
through their frames, but they acted as if they were in 
no sense personally concerned in the event. 

This is the characteristic attitude of the crowd. Peo- 
ple in the mass feel that they have no responsibility. As 
onlookers they have no personal concern in that which 
holds their attention. 

But can it be true that the audience, the onlookers, are 
just neutrals? 

Is there not a moral responsibility involved in being an 
onlooker? What do you think of the Roman populace 
that thronged the Colosseum for its bloody spectacles? 

Well, let’s bring it up to date. What about the posi- 
tion of the audience at a prize fight, or at a vulgar show 
or a suggestive play? Can you blame it all on the 
fighters, the actors, the promoters? 

In real life no one can escape responsibility by becom- 
ing an onlooker. For every one is an actor and has a 
part to play, 


224 


THE LIMITS OF OMNIPOTENCE 
Love never faileth—I Corinthians 13: 8. 


Perhaps the weakest point in our knowledge of God is 
our misapprehension of his omnipotence. 

We confuse omnipotence with arbitrary power. We 
argue in the abstract about omnipotence apart from con- 
sistency of character. And we end up with the most 
frightful caricature of God. 

We must begin rightly with the faith that Jesus taught 
us that all things are possible with God. And then we 
must observe (what Jesus also taught us) that the power 
of God is not arbitrary but consistent, that God is carry- 
ing out his will for and through men by the self-imposed 
limitation inherent in love. 

He cannot make evil good; he cannot make the false 
true. He cannot violate the sacred rights of personal- 
ity. Such limitations are the very evidence of moral 
omnipotence. 

For love is the one thing that can never fail. It can 
be delayed, thwarted temporarily. It can suffer and even 
die—temporarily. In the end love rises up again and 
finally wins the victory. 

The limits of omnipotence are set by love which never 


faileth. 


225 


A GREEN OLD AGE 


They shall still bring forth fruit in old age; 

They shall be full of sap and green: 

To show that Jehovah is upright; 

He is my rock and there is no unrighteousness in him. 
—Psalm 92: 14. 


I hear it said so often and by such unqualified per- 
sons that this is a young man’s world that I have become 
thoroughly sceptical on the issue. I observe that many 
men and women of advanced years are more than hold- 
ing their own with youth; and I note that where youth is 
making progress which bears the marks of permanency 
there are usually some of the old boys around. 

Do you know the story of ‘Thomas Mayhew who be- 
came Governor of the island of Martha’s Vineyard in 
1642? His son was ordained to the ministry and estab- 
lished a very successful work notably among the Indians. 
In all this his father lent encouragement and practical 
assistance. Finding himself in need of funds the younger 
man started on a trip to England to interest some people 
there, but was lost at sea. His father on receipt of the 
sad news decided to take up his son’s work, and although 
he was already seventy years old he began the study of 
the Indian language and went about preaching at the 
various plantations and finally organized the first Indian 
Church with an Indian pastor. This work he kept up 
till he died in his ninetieth year in 1682. And it is said 
that during the forty years he lived among them as Goy- 
ernor and missionary the Indians and the white men were 
continuously at peace, 


226 


MAKING YOURSELF A NUISANCE 


Let thy foot be seldom in thy neighbour's house, 
Lest he be weary of thee, and hate thee. 
—Proverbs 25: 17. 


This is not a plea for unneighbourliness. It is a warn- 
ing against making yourself a nuisance. “To concern 
yourself too much with your neighbour is not a sign of 
interest in him, but an indication of thinking too much 
of yourself. ‘There is a great difference between making 
a friendly visit and hanging around all the time. Some- 
times your neighbour is busy with affairs which do not 
concern you. If you love him, you’ll leave him alone. 
There is a privacy which the best of friends do not vi- 
olate. Indeed that is one reason why they are friends. 

Peeping and prying is always a despicable activity even 
when it is practised under the guise of friendship or 
neighbourliness. 

It is usually a fault common to those who are not very 
busy themselves and who like to lean on the activity of 
others. 

Especially must we beware of making this error in 
trying to win men to religion. ‘To be perseverant in 
following after a soul walking in darkness is a virtue. 
But to pursue him in such fashion that he comes to hate 
the light is a disastrous error. 

There is an attitude which is neither showing yourself 
indifferent nor constituting yourself a nuisance. It is 
founded on a deep regard for your neighbour’s happiness. 
and a supreme unconcern about getting your own way. 


aay 


PROGRAMMES AND PEOPLE 


Jehovah said unto Gideon, By the three hundred that 
lapped will I save you, and deliver the Midianites into 
thy hand.—Judges 7: 7. 


When Gideon was called by the angel of the Lord to 
save Israel from the land of Midian, he promptly devel- 
oped a plan of procedure. But he did not set up a cam- 
paign and accept anybody who came along for a share in 
it. He picked his men with great care. “Twice he went 
over the men who flocked to his standard and for the 
first attack on the enemy he reduced his force from 
32,000 to 300 men. 

‘ It is a procedure that deserves our attention today. 
‘Too many theoretical idealists are at large laying down 
programmes for all the rest of humanity without regard 
to the qualifications of men for taking part in their pro- 
grammes. ‘Their intentions are excellent but their ideals 
are futilitarian—not because they aim too high for men, 
but because they do not begin where the men are.. 

No programme will work without properly qualified 
men. And just as much attention ought to be paid to 
selecting those men as to preparing the programme. 

The chief need in our age, as probably in every other 
age, is better men. If the millennium as a social pro- 
gramme were suddenly put into effect among us it would 
produce disaster. Let the good work of preparation and 
selection go on. Every man is good for something, but 
no man can be qualified for everything. 


228 


FOR WHOM ARE PRIVILEGES? 


Give not that which is holy unto the dogs, neither cast 
your pearls before the swine, lest haply they trample them 
under their feet, and turn and rend you.—Matthew 7: 6. 


We hear a great deal today about what are called 
*‘ under-privileged groups.” No one who looks upon 
humanity with genuine sympathy can doubt that there 
are such people. “They deserve far more attention than 
they receive. But we ought to realize that the indiscrim- 
inate extension of privileges is not the real object of 
philanthropy. For any gift to be beneficial to any person, 
there must be a corresponding capacity on the part of the 
recipient to make good use of it. 

And just there lies the trouble with much of our social 
organization. It lacks discrimination in the distribution 
of its privileges. Money left to a fool is certainly not 
a benefit. To send a loafer to college is a doubtful priv- 
ilege unless you present him also with a few well-calcu- 
lated mental jolts. 

To provide opportunities and privileges for those who 
are incapable of exercising them beneficially or who will 
abuse them, is folly of the most supreme variety. 

The distribution of privileges under the present social 
order is undoubtedly far from justice. But will it get 
any better if we rush to the other extreme and attempt to 
give the same things to everybody, regardless of their 
qualifications for receiving them? 


229 


HIDDEN POTENTIALITIES 


Jehovah is with thee, thou mighty man of valour.— 
Judges 6: 12. 


Probably that form of address was a great surprise to 
young Gideon. For he was apparently a modest, simple- 
hearted youth who pondered the ill-fortunes of his people 
in bondage to the Midianites but did not yet realize the 
part that he was to play in their liberation. Unlike many 
people he did not think of himself as a hero. Perhaps 
that is why the angel of God perceived heroic qualities 
in him. 

Very possibly Gideon did not look like a hero. But 
then, heroism has a way of bobbing up in most unlikely 
persons. Certainly he was engaged in a very common- 
place task when the call came. He was ingloriously 
beating out wheat in the wine press in order to hide it 
from the Midianites. But under that uncouth exterior 
and amid those ordinary labours the angel saw the quali- 
ties that were to make him the saviour of his people. 

Most men—more especially those of a humble spirit— 
have hidden potentialities of some sort. Recall the boys 
with whom you used to play—particularly the awkward, 
shy boys ridiculed and slighted by their companions. 
How often does it happen that these are now the ones 
who are accomplishing things and rendering service to 
men. 

If we could read character aright we should be salut- 
ing many ar ordinary looking boy as a mighty man of 
valour, 


230 


POSTPONED DUTIES 


When I have a convenient season, I will call thee unto 
me.—Acts 24:25. 


Felix, the Roman Governor, for all his pomp and au- 
thority was terrified. He trembled before his prisoner. 

Paul, reasoning of righteousness and self-control and 
the judgment to come, reached his conscience. “This was 
a real experience for both men. 

Felix saw what the inevitable outcome would be if he 
faced the duty that Paul set, not only before him, but 
before the whole world. So he did what most of us do 
under similar circumstances. He postponed the decision 
to a convenient season. So far as we know the conven- 
ient season never came. 

It never does come for anybody. You simply cannot 
postpone a duty. You can only refuse it. And when 
you refuse it you have taken the most effective way of 
damaging yourself. 

How many of the sorrows and anxieties of life come 
from “ postponed ”’ duties. 

Tomorrow is never what we think it will be. In 
that sense tomorrow never comes. “Today we think we 
will be happy and please ourselves. “Tomorrow we 
will do our duty. But we only make ourselves wretched 
pleasure-seekers. 

For human nature is fundamentally such that it can 
only find enduring gladness in the incidental accompani- 
ments of duty performed today. 


231 


THE ART OF PLODDING 
They shall walk, and not faint.—l\saiah 40: 31. 


“ T can plod,” said William Carey, “that is my only 
genius. I can persevere in any definite pursuit. ‘To this 
I owe everything.” 

As a result of this “ plodding” he advanced in sixty 
years from a poor cobbler’s apprentice at the age of thir- 
teen, to die at seventy-three not only one of the most dis- 
tinguished Englishmen of his country, but the establisher 
of the modern world missionary movement. 

A master of many Indian dialects, a notable translator 
and teacher, a real contributor to the science of botany, 
a great disciple of Christ—he was able to walk and not 
faint. 

It is a great quality, this ability to keep indefinitely 
pushing on toward the goal even though the pace seem 
intolerably slow. It is the quality celebrated in the fable 
of the race which the tortoise won from the hare. 

To keep on patiently plodding along is the attitude of 
those who, in the words of Isaiah, wait for the Lord. 
‘They alone can endure the strain of an almost imper- 
ceptible advance. Only they can run without weariness 
and likewise perform the far more exacting task of plod- 
ding industriously without becoming discouraged. Cer- 
tainly it is one aspect of genius that it is “‘ the infinite 
capacity for taking pains.” 


¢ 


232 


WAYSIDE PLEASURES 


He that hath mercy on them will lead them, even by 
springs of water will he guide them.—lIsaiah 49: 10. 


One reason why life looks so pleasureless to many peo- 
ple is because they make pleasure the main object of liv- 
ing. For to set out to capture pleasure only means that 
it will straightway elude you; its very essence lies in its 
unexpected and incidental nature. 

There is only one basis for really enjoying life, and 
that is, to walk in the way in which God leads you. 
Then you are prepared to find delight in all sorts of 
wayside incidents, 

For one thing, the ability of the senses to enjoy any- 
thing depends as much on the tone of the mind as on any 
external happening. Some people are like Peter Bell of 
whom Wordsworth wrote: 


“A primrose by a river’s brim 
A yellow primrose was to him, 
And it was nothing more.” 


When a man is drifting through life, seeking nothing 
outside of self-gratification, the world must become in- 
creasingly a barren and forbidding wilderness. 

But it is wonderful how many delights fall to the lot 
of him who is led by God. For such a one the clasp of 
a friend’s hand, a cool drink in the heat of noon, a 
merry salutation from a passing traveller, a glimpse of 
beauty by the road, a quiet resting-place at night, are all 
full of unspeakable pleasure. 


233 


PLAY 


The streets of the city shall be full of boys and girls 
playing in the streets thereof.—Zechariah 8: 5. 


What a pretty picture that is! You can almost hear 
the shouts and laughter of happy voices and see the merry 
dancing rings of children. 

Let us stop a moment and meditate on this lovely 
scene which the prophet describes as taking place in “‘ the 
city of truth.” 

Play is no small thing in bringing happiness to human 
life. That’s why most boys and girls enjoy life more 
than men and women. We allow the joints of our minds 
to become stiffened with dignity or pride or anxiety. We 
are afraid or unwilling to let go and disport ourselves. 
We have stunted our imaginations so that the streets of 
our own city instead of being a playground and wonder- 
land of adventure seem a dull and drab prison house. 

Surely those of us who are grown-up children need to 
play. Why not! Is it inconsistent with a due sense of 
responsibility? Is it the mark of a frivolous mind? 

Look at the men and women who are succeeding in 
work of any sort that bears the human touch. Do they 
not turn and become, when the chance offers, carefree 
playing children? 

Play is quite as important to human life as work. The 
pompous, unbending individual and .the mean cynical 
fellow are human misfits. “They may exist but they 
cannot live. 


234 


THE SACREDNESS OF PERSONALITY 


The temple of God is holy, which temple ye are.— 
I Corinthians 3:17 (margin). 


The use of churches, even under the stress of war con- 
ditions, for other purposes than worship always arouses 
great indignation among religious people. 

And yet, although it is evident to all spiritually- 
minded persons that the abiding-place of God is in man- 
kind rather than in buildings, many people fail to take 
the action requisite to prevent the continual debauching 
of the minds and bodies of men. Indeed, there are not 
a few who claim the right to employ their own minds 
and bodies in any manner they desire and the minds and 
bodies of other people in whatever manner they are able. 

We greatly need a fresh realization of the holiness of 
men’s persons as the temple of God in order to put an 
end to these violations of sanctuary. For no one can 
estimate the endless troubles which arise from this abuse 
of personality through the employment of human life for 
our own selfish ends instead of recognizing it as the 
abiding-place of God in the Spirit. 

And doubtless if we paid more attention to educat- 
ing ourselves and our children in the acceptance of the 
sacredness of personality we should be released from 
much silly fussing over the spurious modern panacea of 
censorship. 


235 


PERSONAL TROUBLES AND PRAYER FOR 
OTHERS 


Jehovah turned the captivity of Job, when he prayed 
for his friends—Job 42: 10. 


There is nothing so liberating as a sincere concern for 
other people. Most of the prisons in which men find 
themselves locked up are built in part by themselves. 

If you really desire spiritual liberty, pray for your 
friends. ‘The charter of personal liberty belongs to the 
man whose life is given to his friends. 

“He that loseth his life shall find it.” 

The man whose universe centres about himself must 
always be a slave. 

Altruism is not disinterested except in the purely selfish 
sense. It is the road to freedom. But will we take it? 

‘The youth becomes preoccupied with his own sensa- 
tions and reactions. He deals with other people only for 
their effect upon himself. Little by little life shuts him 
in, till suddenly he hears the iron door clang to and the 
bolts make it fast. 

The old man thrusts life away from him. He will 
dwell alone with memory. His shell hardens over him 
till suddenly he finds the very breath of life cut off. 

There is no peace that way. Our lives can only be 
free when they are concerned with our friends. 

‘The end of many troubles comes when we step out of 
the prison of self and find spiritual liberation in earnest 
prayer for our friends. 

Have you tried it lately? 


236 


PRINCES OF PETTINESS 


Ye tithe mint and rue and every herb, and pass over 
justice and the love of God.—Luke 11: 42. 


It is always easy to be busy, but it requires greatness 
to select the things that are worth being busy about. 

How facilely we concern ourselves about secondary 
things. The ancient Pharisees are not the only people 
who were meticulous about details and careless of first 
principles. 

Many a man forgets that the object of his labour is 
life—and wastes himself on the detail of money-making. 

Many a woman forgets that the object for which she 
manages her household is the happiness and well-being of 
the family,—and worries and frets over minor irregulari- 
ties until everyone is miserable. 

Many a preacher forgets that his purpose in the church 
is to bring the Gospel to the souls of men and establish 
it there—and gets lost in the mazes of committees and 
other details of organization. 

And most of us find one way or another of falling 
away from the important things and pouring out time and 
effort over secondary things. In fact one of the chief 
excuses we offer ourselves for failing to act in primary 
obligations is that we are too busy over details of living. 
We are ready to fuss, but not to decide. We are con- 
cerned to dress well, but we neglect our minds. We 
spend a good deal of time over our reputation, but not 
much on our characters. 

In fact many of us are in serious danger of becoming 
princes of pettiness, 


237 


THE DELUSION OF PERFECTIONISM 


Ye therefore shall be perfect, as your Heavenly Father 
is perfect.—Matthew 5: 48. 


Nothing is commoner among small-minded men than 
the delusion of perfectionism. “To hear some of them 
talk you would think that it would be next to impossible 
to pick a flaw in their conduct. 

But every honest man knows (to put it mildly) that 
even the best of men has his weaknesses. 

What, then, is the meaning of this declaratory com- 
mand of Jesus? It cannot be a word spoken to tantalize 
us with the impossibility of fulfilment. It must have a 
practical bearing on our lives. ‘To look for anything 
less would be to run counter to the whole spirit and 
purpose of Jesus’ teaching. 

How, then, shall we be perfect as our heavenly Father 
is perfect? Perfection in the realm of action is evidently 
out of the question. But, thanks be to God, a man is not 
only what he does. Superior to the realm of conduct is 
that of character ; beyond performance is motive and pur- 
pose. And here it is that we are called on to be perfect 
as our heavenly Father is perfect. Relatively to his 
capacity and condition a man may be perfect in the realm 
of character and purpose. 

It is therefore incumbent on all serious-minded men to 
stop trying to dress up and defend their conduct, and 
concentrate on the establishment in their hearts of that 
love which alone makes perfect. 


238 


LIMITATIONS 
Hitherto shalt thou come, but no further—Job 38: 11. 


It is not only the sea to which God has set limits. 
Everything has its limits; even human nature. 

And yet men will go on acting as if there were no end 
to their personal possibilities. 

One of the first signs of intellectual maturity is the 
recognition of limitations. 

The “city feller”? may rather fancy himself in the 
garb of a cowboy. So far it is nothing but dressing up. 
But let him not forget that a cowboy’s work is only for 
him who has something in him which is not native to 
all men. 

The 250-pounder will not make a distance runner; 
nor the 110-pounder a footballer. No man is yet found 


who can remain continuously awake, or who can escape 


the need of food and drink. 

In reality it is the part of cowardly egotism to refuse 
to recognize the limits of human nature and in particular 
our own limitations. 

There is no need to be apologetic about such limita- 
tions as are inherent in your nature unless you are failing 
to make the most of what possibilities you have. 

For the first step in overcoming limitations is to recog- 
nize them. 

Even if you can’t lift a rock with your arms and back, 
you may have brains enough to use a lever. 

The result is the same. 


239 


4 


MOODS 


Moses went up into the mount, and the cloud covered 
the mount.—Exodus 24:15. 


Every one who climbs mountains is familiar with the 
fact that the high peaks are frequently hidden in the 
clouds. How often a climbing expedition sets out. from 
the valley in warm, lovely weather and ends up on the 
peak that was its goal enveloped in cold fog and rain and 
snow. ‘Lhe beautiful view that was anticipated is hid- 
den. Perhaps it may open up for a momentary glimpse. 
Perhaps it may be veiled till the expedition must re- 
turn. Sometimes just as the valley is reached the 
cloud that shrouded the peak suddenly is torn aside and 
the climbers are tantalized with the thought of what 
they have missed. ‘That is one of the uncertainties of 
mountaineering. 

Nor is it any different in the realm of spiritual living. 
‘There are moods that like clouds may veil our view as we 
clamber to the spiritual heights. Sometimes they are 
quite unpredictable. The factors that make spiritual 
weather, like meteorological conditions, are not yet 
known as an exact science. 

But perhaps if we dealt with moods as the moun- 
taineer deals with weather conditions, we should be far 
wiser and happier. Especially on the heights there are 
many uncertainties. But the view is there if we will 
keep on climbing the mountain till we get it. 

Clouds do not permanently obliterate landscape, nor 
moods the vision of faith. 


240 


SPONTANEOUS PRAYER 


The King said unto me, For what dost thou make 
request? So I prayed to the God of Heaven. And I 
said unto the King, If it please the king ..., etc.— 
Nehemiah 2: 4-5. 


It was a critical moment for Nehemiah. ‘The un- 
spoken thoughts of his heart had left an impress on his 
face and the king took note of the expression of his cup- 
bearer. What did he want? Then Nehemiah knew 
that he must speak out and risk his secret concern for his 
own people on the king’s sympathy. 

Observe then what he did. He prayed to the God 
of Heaven and spoke to the king—to all intents and 
purposes simultaneously. It was no sonorous balanced 
prayer that Nehemiah uttered in that brief pause between 
the King’s question and his polite but bold request that 
he be permitted to return to Jerusalem and rebuild it. 
‘There was no time for anything but the swift sponta- 
neous prostration of his soul before God. 

What was that prayer? An impulsive “ God help 
me’’? No one knows. Perhaps it was so swift that 
there were no words, just a rush of the spirit into the 
solemn and gracious abiding presence of God to receive 
courage and hope. 

Do you ever feel that our religion is too much limited 
to formal observances and state occasions? Consider the 
needs of mankind as a whole. Pageant and ceremonial 
have a place there. But neither they nor anything else 
can take the place of that spontaneous, trustful casting of 
the soul upon God in every time of need. 


241 


UNANSWERED PRAYERS 


Nevertheless, not my will, but thine, be done.—Luke 
22: 42. 


In one of our familiar hymns is a line of touching 
beauty and pathos: 

“Teach me the patience of unanswered prayer.” 

Everyone who has implored the sparing of a well- 
beloved life that seemed to be passing away, everyone 
who has begged relief from some sharp trial, some great 
calamity, some slowly creeping painful illness, knows 
how hard it is to leave the petition ungranted and rise to 
the day’s work with unshaken faith and courage. 

That is what the hymn means. No one has really 
prayed who does not understand and feel its deep signif- 
icance. Underneath all our true supplications there must 
lie the confidence that God knows what is best, and He 
may not see the matter as we do. He has more light. 
The best of all things is that His will should be done. 

But is the prayer really unanswered just because the 
response is delayed, or different from what we wanted? 
If patience comes into our hearts is not that in itself a 
beautiful and glorious answer? 

Patience is a form of love which endureth all things. 
Patience is a mode of faith which overcometh the world. 

I think there are no unanswered prayers. 

Only there are some which are answered at another 
time and in a different way from what we expected. 


242 


RICHES AS A HANDICAP 


How hardly shall they that have riches enter into the 
kingdom of God/—Mark 10: 23. 


An old Vermont farmer was talking with a young 
neighbour. The young man was complaining because 
the devil’s paint-brush (that bright but destructive weed ) 
was ruining his hay-crop. “ Fertilize your land, my 
boy, fertilize your land,” said the old man, “ I’ve noticed 
that the devil’s paint-brush is like lots of folks. It can’t 
stand prosperity.” 

You see, the trouble is not in the prosperity itself, but 
in the character of the persons who meet it. Unless a 
man have stability of character, riches at once throw him 
off his balance. How often the frugal and hard-working 
youth is turned by the acquirement of riches into a hard 
and selfish old man! How often the man, whose first 
book written with care and devotion achieves success, 
degenerates into a merely popular author! How often 
the modest industrious woman is changed by prosperity 
into a vain and frivolous creature! 

Prosperity is for most of us a terrible pitfall. Adver- 
sity seems usually to call forth the best that is in us. 

What is it that will enable us to go through life 
master of the outward circumstances of both prosperity 
and hardship? Surely it is to follow in the way of 
Christ who came not to do his own will, but the will of 
God who sent him. 


243 


PERSEVERANCE 


Let us not be weary in well-doing: for in due season 
we shall reap, if we faint not.—Galatians 6: 9. 


Most divisions among men are unreal, without essen- 
tial justification. But the more I deal with men the 
more am I impressed with the importance of that division 
which separates men into “stickers”? and “ quitters.” 
Again and again I find myself unable to discover any 
vital difference between two men except that one carries 
his undertaking through to a conclusion, while the other 
peters out somewhere along the way. Oftentimes the 
latter makes a better beginning than the former. But 
the ability to see a task through to the end is quite a 
different quality from the ability to undertake it. 

Unless my acquaintance with people has been peculiar, 
it would seem that there are today a good many people, 
otherwise excellently qualified for valuable service, who 
lack the one quality of perseverence. “They do not finish 
what they have begun. Often they are too impatient to 
see that time is an element in every valuable accomplish- 
ment. Some of them are continually ‘‘ taking up” some 
new pursuit—and, as soon as the novelty wears off or the 
dificulties appear, laying it aside for something else. 
‘They never reap the benefits of what are frequently fine 
beginnings, because they will not stay long enough with 
their undertakings. 

It is a great pity, because not only are many harvests 
unreaped, but also much bitterness and despair befall 
those who fail to endure unto the end. 


244 


PLAIN SPEECH 


So also ye, unless ye utter by the tongue speech easy to 
be understood, how shall it be known what is spoken?— 
I Corinthians 14: 9. 


Many people, alas! do not employ speech for the pur- 
pose of revealing the truth, but often for the object of 
concealing it. 

In fact this is one of the commonest ways of lying— 
not the direct statement of falsehood but so tortuous a 
use of language that men easily get the wrong idea of the 
facts. This is the method of educated crooks in deceiving 
simple folks. It is the procedure of the old secret diplo- 
macy which was forever saying one thing and meaning 
another. It is the manner of a certain school of writers 
and speakers today who will talk or write fluently at 
great length; and when they stop the reader or the lis- 
tener is in the same state as when the words began— 
except that he is feeling weary. 

We do too much writing and talking for our own 
selfish satisfaction and without consideration for other 
people. The desire to express ourselves is no justification 
for inflicting meaningless words on a world already suffi- 
ciently confused. If we do not ourselves know what we 
are saying, surely it is reasonable to expect that no one 
else will understand. 

Doubtless much confusion in the Church would cease 
if preachers employed only speech easy to be understood. 
The output of talk would be decreased; but who would 
grieve? 


245 


THE NECESSITY OF APPEARING 
RIDICULOUS 


They laughed us to scorn, and despised us, and said, 
What is this thing that ye do?—-Nehemiah 2: 19. 


One of the strongest feelings in most people is an in- 
stinctive aversion to appearing ridiculous. We are will- 
ing to do almost anything to escape being laughed at. 
In fact there are few more powerful weapons in the 
world than ridicule. 

And yet the whole strength of ridicule lies in the 
weakness of the person attacked. In itself a laugh has 
no power at all. 

When Nehemiah returned with the permission of the 
Persian king to rebuild Jerusalem the Bedawin chieftains 
who were profiting by the desolate condition of the city 
gathered about him and poured spiteful laughter on him 
for undertaking the colossal task. Doubtless it did look 
ridiculous. A handful of enthusiastic Jews planning the 
reconstruction of a destroyed city surrounded by scornful 
tribes of marauders like a ring of grinning jackals. And 
yet the ridiculous thing was done. 

One of the first requirements for a doer of deeds is 
the ability to withstand ridicule. I would even go fur- 
ther and say that no one ever accomplished anything 
worth while without appearing foolish to some one. 
Certainly most progress in invention and discovery is 
made in the face of laughter. And what man ever car- 
ried out the will of God without looking ridiculous? 

If you have never been called absurd you may be sure 
you have never done anything important. 


246 


RECIPE FOR RIOTS 


Not only is there danger that this our trade come into 
disrepute; but also that the temple of the great goddess 
Diana be made of no account.—Acts 19: 27. 


Demetrius was a shrewd man according to his lights. 
He knew just what to do in order to stir up his fellow 
townsmen against the Apostle Paul’s preaching. Climb- 
ing on whatever in those days occupied the place of the 
modern soap-box he mixed the one sure formula for riots; 
the appeal to self-interest backed by religious prejudice. 

He pointed out that if Paul’s preaching reached the 
hearts of the people the business of those who made the 
silver images of Diana would be ruined; and then justi- 
fied the selfishness thus aroused by showing that it meant 
the despising and ultimate destruction “ of the temple of 
the great goddess Diana... whom all Asia and the 
world worshippeth.” 

It was a first-rate demagogue’s speech and inevitably 
led to the desired riot. But could it permanently stay 
the course of Paul’s preaching? 

Today the Gospel encircles the world. Diana’s temple 
at Ephesus and the life of the silversmiths who lived on 
her trade are buried in the musty past. 

The next time you hear a speaker appeal to people’s 
self-interest and back it up with the sanctions of religious 
prejudice, beware. He is only brewing the old recipe for 
riots which is as potent today as ever. 


247 


PREACHING WITHOUT WORDS 


The heavens declare the glory of God; 
And the firmament showeth his handiwork. 
—Psalm 19: I. 


Reading or listening to words does not provide the sole 
way of receiving ideas and comprehending truth. Or, if 
you prefer to put it so, there is another language in the 
world than the words of human speech. 

Books and talk, after all, are only convenient ways for 
communicating what a man has learned from experience 
and observation of the world. Wisdom primarily lies 
not in the words but in what is behind them. Sincere 
writers and speakers know this and aim to help their 
hearers to listen for themselves to the wordless language 
of the universe. 

Especially is this the case with religious truth. For 
the ultimate evidence for God in your soul or mine is 
not some other man’s talk about Him, but the whole 
testimony of heaven and earth that comes directly home 
to our souls. 

Do not misunderstand me. Words are vital for the 
formulation and communication of thought. But there 
are vital religious truths concerning which stars or trees 
are God’s accredited prophets. Some of the finest ser- 
mons are wordless, though they usually send their hearers 
away with a few words to summon men to “ hear” the 
original prophet. 

Perhaps this is what our age needs. More listening to 
God’s wordless sermons and less to men’s verbose and 
inadequate arguments. 


248 


POPULAR BELIEF AND TRUTH 


For what if some were without faith? Shall their 
want of faith make of none effect the faithfulness of 
God?—Romans 3: 3. 


I am always much astonished to hear the argument 
developed against the claims of faith that “‘ Nobody be- 
lieves such things today.”’ Probably the implication is 
that nobody as sensible as the speaker believes such things. 

Well, there are plenty of things to consider in such a 
statement which I will pass by as irrelevant. But I 
must declare myself as not at all convinced that religious 
faith is on the decline. Rather am I confident that it is 
facing a period of purification from which it will emerge 
still more vigorous. 

But the particular point that I wish to discuss here is 
the strange assumption that the general failure of people 
to believe indicates the folly of believing. 

No more preposterous declaration could be made. And 
yet it is one of the commonest replies offered to the invi- 
tation to believe. It is often uttered by the superior 
young man who is quite sure that he is in the forefront 
of truth. 

Stop a moment and consider its significance: 

Supposing Columbus had taken that attitude to the 
faith knocking at his door but denied by all others. 

Supposing Galileo had shut out the truth seeking en- 
trance into his mind saying, Nobody believes that. 

You see it is necessary that we deal with questions on 
their merits regardless of the attitude of other people. 
“The voice of the people is the voice of God” will 
hardly do as a motto for the man who is seeking truth. 

The truth or falsehood of faith is not proved by its 
popularity or unpopularity. 


249 


THE VALUE OF ROUTINE 


Jesus entered, as his custom was, into the synagogue on 
the Sabbath day, and stood up to read.—Luke 4: 16. 


There is a prejudice abroad today in favour of erratic 
and irregular conduct—especially for ourselves. In some 
unaccountable way the idea of independence has become 
associated with it. Regularity and routine are con- 
demned as dull and stupid and incompatible with being 
a man of spirit. While unaccountability is taken as the 
mark of spiritual power. 

As a matter of fact, of course, irregularity and individ- 
ualism may be just as much of a convention as regularity 
and formality; while spiritual grace is not invariably 
shown by lawless conduct. 

In truth there is no standard way of living a spiritual 
life. The very examples of Jesus and his disciples are 
evidences of this. But I would like you to observe that 
as one way of developing spiritual power routine has a 
real value. 

Regularity of private prayer, or of public worship need 
not make them stereotyped and conventional perform- 
ances. It is not the external act that produces this un- 
desirable effect. It is the inner attitude. If you are dull 
yourself, routine will make you duller still. But if you 
are wide awake the proper use of routine may be the 
means of discovering stability and depth in your spiritual 
nature and releasing power that would otherwise be 
lacking. 


250 


A WISE RULER 


I am not minded to be a judge of these matters.— 


Acts 18:15. 


Among the most troublesome people in the world are 
the little groups of self-appointed vicegerents of God, 
who assert that they have the right to use government 
for the enforcement on everybody of their private views. 
Such groups are the parodists of freedom. Insisting on 
their right to their own opinions, they deny to others an 
equal right. They are not satisfied to have their ideas 
stand the test of public judgment. ‘They do not ask a 
fair field for their legitimate propaganda. “They demand 
the elimination of all competition. 

Such was the group that came to Gallio when he was 
proconsul of Achaia, dragging the Apostle Paul with 
them. Paul had, in their eyes, performed the horrible 
heresy of persuading Crispus, the ruler of their Syna- 
gogue, to become a Christian and they desired the arm 
of government to punish him. But Gallio was too wise 
to be made into a tool by these zealots. He motioned 
Paul, then about to defend himself, to silence and he 
threw the case out of court as having nothing to do with 
the law, there being neither a civil wrong nor any out- 
rage of public morality at stake. 

Is it not a great mistake for religious people to look to 
government for anything else than the maintenance of 
tolerance to provide an open field for the free working 
of the Spirit? 


251 


THE POINT OF THE STORY 
Thou art the man.—II Samuel 12: 7. 


The prophet Nathan has told David the story of the 
unjust taking by a rich man of a poor man’s one ewe 
lamb and David has impulsively uttered indignation 
against such conduct. : 

But like most good stories, this one had a point, which 
in this instance was directed at David’s unjust dealing 
with Uriah. 

Curious, wasn’t it, that the King didn’t see himself in 
the picture until the prophet pointed his accusing phrase 
right at him: Thou art the man. Of course then he saw 
it and, being an honest man, confessed and repented. 
But, unless the prophet had tagged the moral on his 
story, do you think David would have seen the point? 

And is it not so with most of us? We are indignant 
against the evils of which we read and hear, but we 
gather ourselves up in a sense of superiority which for- 
bids the moral to come home to us. 

There is, in these days, considerable criticism of the 
art of preaching as a naive and childish procedure with 
carefully labelled morals dragged in at every opportunity. 
Perhaps it will be time enough to heed that criticism 
when men learn how to judge themselves in the light of 
what they see and hear about other people. 


252 


NOT FOR SALE 


Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, 
and he that hath no money; come ye, buy and eat; yea, 
come, buy wine and milk without money and without 
price.—Isaiah 55: 1. 


One of the continually astonishing things about relig- 
ion as the way of life, is the fact that it is freely offered 
to all men. ‘There is no monetary price attached to it. 
Your poverty need not keep you from it, nor will your 
wealth place it within your reach. It is not for sale at 
any price. It is the gift of God to his children who, 
realizing their need, are willing to receive it from him. 

In many ways money plays a great part—and a part 
that ought not to be despised—in all sorts of affairs. 
You cannot get an advanced education without the leis- 
ure which money provides. ‘The services of organized 
religion are not possible without money. All of which 
is not to say that either what a University or a Church 
offers can be bought by money alone, but merely that 
money is concerned in providing it. 

Religion in the personal sense is absolutely free. There 
is nothing between your Soul and God which requires 
anything not already potentially in your hands for its 
removal. Whether you own a county or just the shirt 
on your back, there is no difference. 

Is it not wonderfully encouraging to realize that amid 
all the differences of condition that separate men, we may 
all be spiritual equals through God’s gracious gift to 
every man? 


253 


APPOINTED FOR SALVATION 


For God appointed us not unto wrath, but unto the 
obtaining of salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ.— 
I Thessalonians 5: 9. 


It is not always remembered by Christians that the 
primary business of Christianity is salvation, not judg- 
ment. Of course, judgment is the reverse side of sal- 
vation as a moral state. But the striking thing about 
genuine Christianity,—that is, Christianity which is 
faithful to the life and teaching of Jesus—is that it seeks 
not the punishment of sinners, but their conversion and 
salvation; that it has, at least so far as men are con- 
cerned, nothing to do with dividing men into totally 
separated flocks of sheep and goats. 

There are, of course, lost sheep in the world,—but 
they are all sheep. Indeed it is a bold man who will, 
except in the abstract, classify even the sheep. And per- 
haps the most sensible procedure is to recognize that we 
are all lost sheep totally dependent on the mercy of God 
in Christ Jesus. 

Nor, on the other hand, should we think meanly of 
ourselves as if we were forgotten or despised of God. 
Life truly is too much for any of us, especially if we try 
to live it or understand it all at once. But if we remem- 
ber that we are appointed unto salvation through our 
Lord Jesus Christ, and then recall to what a diversity of 
men and women he has made that salvation evident, we 
will be able to receive with humble and thankful hearts 
this unspeakable gift of God, 


254 


REJECTING SALVATION 


O, Jerusalem, Jerusalem, ... how often would I 
have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gath- 
ereth her own brood under her wings, and ye would not! 
—Luke 13: 34. 


One cold, wintry day I was strolling in the woods, 

looking and listening, when I came upon a band of hardy 
bluebirds evidently lured by a mild season to remain late 
in their summer haunts and now caught by a sudden cold 
snap. How strange they looked in the snow amid the 
bare trees. 

One in particular drew my attention. He would 
alight on a twig with great fluttering, pause a moment, 
and almost immediately fly on. Drawing carefully 
nearer I found the reason. One leg was broken and with 
the other he could maintain his balance but for a moment 
in the cold wind. It was a doleful predicament. How 
soon would the bright blue wings weary and the poor 
creature, unable to rest, fall a prey to his natural enemies 
upon the ground? 

Until darkness ended the search I followed that bird 
trying every means I knew to get him in my hands for 
safety and succour. But his instincts identified me with 
the enemy death and he fluttered with increasing weari- 
ness before me. We could not speak the same language 
and my good intentions were foiled. 

Many people have had similar experiences with the 
dumb creation. But do we perceive the parallelism in 
our own relations with God? How often we reject our 
one hope of salvation because we will not trust God. 
That refusal is the more terrible by as much as sin is 
worse than death, 


255 


LIMITATIONS OF THE SCIENTIFIC 
METHOD 


The natural man receiveth not the things of the spirit 
of God: for they are foolishness unto him; and he cannot 
know them, because they are spiritually judged.—Il Co- 
rinthians 2: 14. 


This statement of Paul’s, instead of being a theological 
abstraction with little practical significance, is one of the 
most important truths for helping us correct the popular 
errors of today. 

For this is an age in which that great form of pro- 
cedure known as the scientific method has been foolishly 
exalted into the solution of every question before men. 
Of course no accredited scientist makes such a claim, but 
plenty of ignorant people make it for him. And it is 
all terribly confusing to the untrained thinker. 

As a plain matter of fact it ought to be recognized that 
when you havé explained how any particular occurrence 
takes place you have not by any means explained why it 
takes place. 

Doubtless the scientific method has a valuable service 
to perform (among other things) in curbing certain ab- 
surdities of logic and speculation. But by what right is 
it used by pseudo-scientists as the sole arbiter in the 
realm of faith? 

Truly men do the honourable method of science a 
great disservice by making for it a claim totally outside 
its natural limits. 

The world needs poets and theologians today as well as 
“engineers”? of one sort or another. It is the sum of 
our various contributions, in mutual interaction, that 
contains the hope of progress. 


256 


OPEN SECRETS 


There is nothing covered up, that shall not be revealed. 
—Luke 12:2. 


Jesus is not here talking of a law that will begin to 
function in a remote future—He is talking of the spir- 
itual law of life under which we live at all times. 

What is in the heart is revealed in the life. Conceal- 
ment is impossible. Sooner or later it will come out. 
The man who thinks evil will some day do evil—perhaps 
even when he doesn’t want to. 

Outward conduct is ultimately controlled by inner 
state. All the prohibitory laws in the world will not 
finally prevent the hatred in men’s hearts from dragging 
them into evil conduct. ‘The only cure is to get at the 
hidden hatred and remove it; or, better still, to give it 
no resting place in the first place. 

One reason why men think that the concealment of 
any particular sin from their fellowmen permanently pre- 
vents its discovery is because they fail to understand the 
simple law that each sin entails consequences in the per- 
petrator’s life regardless of the world’s knowledge of its 
commission. “The danger is not in the possibility that 
your sin as a specific act will be found out but in the 
certainty that your sin will find you out and ultimately 
betray you. 

In terms of life there are no secrets. 


257 


THE MIRACLE OF THE SEED 


Unto what is the Kingdom of God like? ... It is 
like unto a grain of mustard seed, which a man took, 
and cast into his own garden; and it grew, and became 
a tree; and the birds of the heaven lodged in the branches 
thereof. —Luke 13: 18-19. 


There is a popular delusion abroad today that all 
really important movements must be launched with a 
great blaring of trumpets, a magnificant supply of mate- 
rial equipment, and especially with a generous provision 
of capital. Everything must start big in order to get 
attention and make a success. 

Are we not starting at the wrong end—at least as 
concerns spiritual movements? 

The first thing is not the tree but the seed. ‘The first 
requirement is not a great organization but the spiritual 
idea. “The Church of Christ does not advance by con- 
centration on statistical increases. It advances by the 
industrious planting and cultivation of the seed. 

No; I am not one who neglects the demands of 
achievement; but I am one who has grown very weary 
of the delusion of big beginnings. ‘The worldly way of 
securing popular attention through spectacular beginnings 
is not the correct way for spiritual works. ‘There is 
many a small church, unnoticed by the world, which is 
alive with spiritual growth. “There is many a Christian, 
unknown to fame, who carries in himself the promise of 
great growth and fruitage. Small beginnings are the 
right beginnings. But let us be sure that we begin with 
the living seed, and not a lifeless grain of sand, 


258 


THE WRONG KIND OF SEEKING 


They shall run to and fro to seek the word of Jehovah, 
and shall not find it—Amos 8: 12. 


I do not think that anyone can reasonably call our age 
an irreligious age. It must be evident to every man who 
observes his fellowmen with sympathy that people today 
are very conscious of their need of God. You may see 
the evidence of that fact notably in the modern poetry 
and in that rather formless and chaotic thing known as 
the Youth movement, and in the prolific birth of new 
cults. 

One is of course prepared to find that the boundaries 
of thought, as well as the boundaries of nations, are 
changed after the cataclysm of a great war. Nor is one 
surprised to note a certain amount of surface instability 
and insecurity in an age when inventions and discoveries. 
follow each other with bewildering rapidity. 

And yet even those who find themselves profoundly 
sympathetic with the spirit of this age must often be 
seriously troubled by the unbalanced thought and con- 
duct of many people. If anything seems new, they fol- 
low it with an avidity that argues lack of all reflection. 
They act with an impatience that plunges them into un- 
considered and frequently foolish deeds. 

It will not do to feel the need of God and set off in 
a wild chase to capture Him. It is also required that we 
steady down to the spiritual depths in which alone He 
reveals himself to men. 


259 


REVERENCING PERSONALITY 


We wronged no man, we corrupted no man, we took 
advantage of no man.—\I Corinthians 7: 2. 


Of course we all reverence personality in ourselves. 

But it is a real spiritual grace to exercise the same 
regard for our fellowmen. And it is especially difficult 
for a man who has a great purpose to carry through to 
bear in. mind that he ought to accomplish it with the aid 
of men rather than over their opposition. 

Most men will agree in conversation that spiritual 
purposes are achieved only through recognition of the 
rights of personality, but when we get to work on any 
particular plan the temptation to fall back on force and 
take any advantage we can is almost irresistible. 

One of the great qualities in Paul was his steadfast 
regard for personality even when it meant delays and 
hindrances in his own work. He took no advantage of 
anybody. 

How humbly he used his learned mind to explain and 
propound the truth to the young Church! 

How carefully he avoided demanding their financial 
contributions, and offered them opportunities to express 
their generosity! 

He did not even take advantage of them by sending 
some one else as his agent to do what he himself might 
shrink from doing—which is the method of some who 
desire to rule but are personally timid. 

It is a fine record—all the more noteworthy be- 
cause it was accompanied by great zeal and large 
accomplishment. 


260 


PRAISE FOR THE LIVING 


Woe unto you! for ye build the tombs of the prophets, 
and your fathers killed them. So ye are witnesses and 
consent unto the works of your fathers; for they killed 
them, and ye build their tombs.—Luke 11: 47-48. 


There is an old maxim to the effect that only good 
should be spoken of the dead. It is a noble half-truth 
and ought to be considered by those who are inclined to 
injure the good names of people whose voices are stilled 
in death. But this business of pronouncing indiscrim- 
inate eulogy on any man just because he is dead, is noth- 
ing but rank sentimentalism. You cannot praise a man 
by exalting qualities which he never had, even by attrib- 
uting them to him. ‘That is idol worship and of course 
lacks reality. 

But the most serious error in our judgment of other 
men is probably not too great generosity to them after 
death, even though much of our praise be inaccurate. 
Rather it is our distortion of the counsel to speak only 
good of the dead, to the popular dictum that no credit 
should be given to the living. That is the reason why so 
many eulogies are sickeningly fulsome. It looks as if we 
could only see the living man as a potential, if not an 
actual, rival, and dared therefore give him no credit. 
When dead, he may be praised in speech and monument, 
since death has ended any possible competition. 

Why should generous praise wait for death? Why 
can we not introduce the element of eternity into our 
judgment of living men so that greatness may be recog- 
nized and encouraged before it takes its dificult journey 
into the valley of the shadow? 


261 


SENSATIONALISM 


The devil . . . set him on the pinnacle of the temple, 
and saith ... If thou art the Son of God, cast thyself 
down: for it is written, He shall give his angels charge 
concerning thee-——Matthew 4:5, 6. 


There is all the difference in the world between the 
legitimate endeavour to attract attention to one’s work 
and the illegitimate attempt to win the favour of the 
crowd. One is publicity, the other is sensationalism. 
There is a great distinction, for example, between the 
ways of advertising a circus and a church—although 
many church people do not recognize it. 

Nothing is gained by attracting attention to any activ- 
ity or person except by methods inherently compatible 
with the regular conduct of that activity or person. 

Jesus met that issue right at the beginning of his min- 
istry. He determined that nothing should deflect him 
from his chosen purpose which by its very nature de- 
barred the use of merely sensational methods. ‘The fact 
that his miracles of healing drew public attention to him 
was purely an accident. His leaping from the pinnacle 
of the temple would have been a play to the gallery with 
no relation to his mission. “Therefore he refused it. 

The trouble with sensationalism is that it defeats the 
purpose of all serious projects. And besides it argues 
something wrong in its practisers. As John La Farge 
once wrote of a certain school of eccentric and unskilled 
painters: ‘‘ They are driven to do something to attract 
attention, even their own attention.” 


262 


ARE YOU A STUMBLING-BLOCK? 


Let us not therefore judge one another any more; but 
judge ye this rather, that no man put a stumbling-block 
in his brother’s way, or an occasion of falling—Romans 


T4135: 


We are commonly inclined to look upon temptation as 
something that affects us and forget the vital fact that we 
may ourselves be stumbling-blocks to other people. 

Comparatively speaking there are few men mean 
enough to set out deliberately and maliciously to throw 
temptation in their neighbour’s way with a view to his 
destruction. ‘There are some such and they must be 
handled with vigour and skill as social menaces to the 
community. Every decent city or village government 
must fight organized and commercialized temptation. 

But I wish to speak rather of those who are uncon- 
scious or at least unpurposeful tempters of others, per- 
sons who live their lives oblivious to the fact that they 
are surrounded by people at different stages of moral 
development and who thus unintentionally become real 
-tempters of others. 

Of course the world cannot be run for the benefit of 
the weak brother; but is not something due to him just 
because he is weak? And oftentimes his weakness is 
only the immaturity of youth. 

Surely, as Christians, it is incumbent upon us to note 
the effect of our manner of life on those about us and to 
see to it that it is not a source of temptation. 

What will it profit us to assert our own personal rights 
and then discover that we have contributed to the crip- 
pling of our brother for whom Christ died? 


263 


THE BASIS FOR HUMAN JUDGMENTS 
By their fruits ye shall know them—Matthew 7: 20. 


The one test that Jesus approved by which men may 
justly judge one another is the practical test of fruit- 
bearing,—not merely that faith should bear fruit in 
terms of character and conduct but that there should be 
in that fruit the seed of further fruit. 

Indeed what other just test can there be in a practical 
world like this? Are you and I qualified to judge the 
unseen motives of men’s hearts? Put it the other way 
round: We know that they are not qualified to judge. 
our motives. 

You see religion is always in the profoundest sense a 
practical affair. Recall the story of the blind man that 
Jesus restored to sight. “The Pharisees tried to overawe 
the poor fellow with their authoritative declaration that 
Jesus was a sinner. But he refused to be entangled in 
their arguments. ‘“ One thing I know,” he announced 
with admirable perseverance in face of their heckling, 
“that, whereas I was blind, now I see.” Of course that 
declaration was unanswerable. He made their pompous 
pronouncements look silly by sticking stubbornly to the 
practical issue. 

Surely in those natural judgments that life compels us 
to pass on one another we ought to proceed on the basis 
of Jesus’ test. When men claim divine sanction for con- 
tradictory positions let us forget their claims and examine 
their fruits. 

And let us not neglect to make sure that our own 
religion will stand up under this searching test. 


264 


THINGS 


Having food and covering we shall be therewith con- 
tent.—I ‘Timothy 6: 8. 


Anyone who has had the responsibility of conducting 
a party of people on a journey knows the insufferable 
anxiety occasioned by the superfluous baggage that all 
inexperienced as well as a few old but obstinate travellers 
bring. Unless a strong authority is exerted right at the 
beginning, the trip, for one person at least, will be oc- 
cupied with finding, transporting and assembling trunks, 
_valises and packages. It is a thankless and at last a 
useless service. 

But it is much more serious when we try to live our 
whole lives cumbered with superfluous things. And how 
many people are either doing it or trying to do it! Some- 
times it seems as if the inability to buy—and not always 
that!—is the only stop to the amount of things people 
desire to own and cart about with them. We clutter 
ourselves up with possessions until. we can hardly turn 
around amid the pile. 

Up to a certain point, of course, the owning of things 
is a means of securing liberty. If you lack a suit of 
clothes you are hindered from unobtrusive public appear- 
ance. But there is a point at which the increase of 
possessions is only a burden. 

It is not just to set the danger line for others by com- 
parison with yourself, for one man may need things 
which to another are superfluous. But you will do well 
to be on guard against the domination of material things 
which is the peculiar peril of an age of prosperity. 


265 


THE SIN OF DOING NOTHING 
Inasmuch as ye did it not-—Matthew 25: 45. 


One of the most persistent errors of religious thinking 
is the idea that goodness consists chiefly in not doing cer- 
tain things. The negative aspect is emphasized out of all 
proportion. 

Perhaps the prevalence of this error dates from our 
childhood when our rightly exasperated parents told us 
to “ sit on that chair, and be good ’”—which we promptly 
interpreted as an order to do nothing. 

However that may be, the error persists. When the 
minister calls, he is informed with commendable purpose 
but poor judgment, ‘‘ My husband has no interest in the 
Church, but he is a good man; he never harms anybody.” 

And most of us content ourselves with the reflection 
that we have not been guilty of this or that particular sin. 

We quite forget that Jesus’ chief condemnation was 
reserved for those who neglected to perform the acts for 
which love calls. ‘The rich man who neglected the beg- 
gar at his gate is pictured in hell. ‘The man who neg- 
lected to use his talent is marked as a failure. The 
people of whom He could say, ‘“‘ Inasmuch as ye did it 
not unto one of the least of these my brethren,” are con- 
demned to punishment. Not one of these people had 
been guilty of anything except doing nothing, 

Evidently in Jesus’ teaching the most blameworthy sins 
were sins of omission. 

If we are to be truly His disciples do we not need a 
radical revision in our conception of sin? 


266 


OTHER PEOPLE’S TROUBLES 


Remember them that are in bonds, as bound with 
them.—Hebrews 13: 3. 


The final witness to love is the willingness to share 
another’s suffering. You may see that in the derivation 
of our word “ sympathy ” which at first meant to suffer 
with another, though it has since been enlarged to indi- 
cate the sharing of another’s feelings of whatever kind 
they may be. 

What better proof of love than that? 

The worldly man says, “I have troubles enough of 
my own. Why should I be concerned with yours?” 

But the Christian learns from Jesus that his object 
should not be to build a fortress for himself against a sea 
of troubles, but to share his brother’s woes, not to flee to 
some illusion of happy islands, but to cast in his lot with 
his fellowmen and work with them for the well-being, 
the peace, the salvation of all men. 

No one who has himself been through deep waters can 
doubt what it means to have a friend stand by sharing 
without reserve in a trial or sorrow, whatever it may 
be. To come through alone is a desperate chance. To 
come through accompanied by a voluntary companion is 
a gallant hope. 

Surely it is a truth which finds its final vindication in 
Jesus Christ himself who entered into our temptations 
and burdens. 

Surely as his disciples we ought to reflect in our con- 
duct toward one another’s troubles something of the 
spirit of him who hath borne our griefs and carried 
our SOrrows. 


267 


OTHER PEOPLE'S SINS 


Then will I teach transgressors thy ways; 
And sinners shall be converted unto thee. 


—Psalm 51:13. 


Most of us are pretty shrewd observers of other peo- 
ples’ sins and fairly voluble in our denunciation of them. 
The conventional among us are usually willing to confess 
our own sins (in the abstract) and prompt to condemn 
other people’s sins (in the concrete). But we all hesi- 
tate to risk incurring the nickname which was given to 
Jesus, ‘a friend of publicans and sinners.” 

And yet, as has been said repeatedly and with con- 
siderable eloquence, our business as Christians is to hate 
the sin and love the sinner. 

It is a difficult thing to do, perhaps as hard as anything 
in the world. It means that we must lay aside the 
. worldly conception of respectability. It means that we 
must forego the childish pleasure of setting off our sup- 
posed virtues against the background of other people’s 
sins painted in darkest colours. It means not only that 
we shall enter the lists against our own sins, but that we 
shall accept the privilege of helping others to turn from 
their sins. 

To a real disciple of Jesus Christ other men’s sins are 
not just excuses for uttering condemnations (no matter 
how true they may be). ‘They are invitations to open 
the way to God’s salvation so that the sinner may be 
taught and converted and saved. 


268 


OTHER PEOPLE’S HAPPINESS 


The friend of the bridegroom, that standeth and hear- 
eth him, rejoiceth greatly because of the bridegroom’s 
voice.—John 3: 29. 


It is asad thing when a man cannot rejoice in another 
man’s happiness without dragging in personal compari- 
sons. How many opportunities for genuine gladness are 
let slip because we look on the other man’s happiness only 
to exclaim, “‘ Alas! everybody is happy except myself ”— 
quite forgetting that we also may rejoice in his happiness. 

Surely the man who limits his rejoicing to good for- 
tune befalling himself cuts himself needlessly off from a 
great deal of the good cheer of life. 

And what does he gain by his selfish action? Nothing, 
except loneliness. Nothing, except the unnecessary sense 
of being without a friend because he is not friendly 
himself. 

‘There are few qualities that more endear a man to his 
fellowmen than the ability to rejoice wholeheartedly in 
their happiness. Who is so welcome at any time as he 
who can cast aside his own anxieties and rejoice in his 
neighbour’s good fortune? 

That is one of the things that lends grace and beauty 
to a wedding party. It is a company of people gathered 
to rejoice in the happiness which is not personally their 
own. 

If you really want to know people and love them you 
must rejoice with them. It is not a duty so much as a 
privilege. For it means that your heart is in the right 
place and functioning properly. 


269 


OTHER PEOPLE'S VIRTUES 


He that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose 
shoes I am not worthy to bear—Matthew 3:11. 

Among them that are born of women there hath not 
arisen a greater than John the Baptist —Matthew 11:11. 


A fundamental part of the right relationship of the 
individual soul to God is the relationship that each man 
sustains to his fellowmen. ‘This is clearly emphasized 
everywhere in the New Testament. Love of God and 
of one’s neighbour are two parts of one commandment. 
Divine forgiveness is inseparably connected with forgive- 
ness among men. 

Perhaps one of the most difficult places in which to 
maintain a right relationship with other men is in con- 
nection with their virtues. 

Like all sins envy is self-destructive. It may offer 
temporary advantage but in the end it brings disaster. 
Nothing is gained by failing to observe and give full 
credit to another’s virtues. Envy made Cain a murderer, 
and revealed the pettiness of the elder Brother who over- 
looked his prodigal brother’s repentance and saw only 
his sin. 

How beautiful by contrast was the mutual recognition 
of virtues by John the Baptist and Jesus. Did either one 
suffer injury from generous and gracious words and con- 
duct toward the other? 

Only small men withhold full credit to the greatness 
and goodness of other men. 

It is so easy to assume that other men’s virtues are 
insignificant or even non-existent because we think that 
this attitude exalts ourselves. 


270 


THE FAD OF SUSPENDED JUDGMENT 


How long go ye limping between the two sides?— 
I Kings 18:21. 


One may justly say that suspended judgment is become 
a fad of our day. Lots of people are going around saying 
about almost every issue: Well, it all depends on the 
point-of-view; there is much to be said on both sides. 

Now, God forbid that I should even seem to assume 
that all issues are clear, or should even seem to condemn 
anybody who is seriously weighing evidence and seeking 
to come to a conclusion on any subject and in the mean- 
time holding his decision in abeyance. 

But our trouble is not with honest and serious-minded 
doubters. Our trouble is with this fad of suspended 
judgment promoted by our influential but crass-minded 
and flippant sophists. 

One of the easiest ways in the world to get a popular 
reputation for wisdom today is to talk on both sides of 
all questions and come to no conclusions. 

Words, words, words,—and not a flash of discrimina- 
tion, evaluation, judgment among them! 

‘The system is too easy to have power to reach the 
truth. By it, tolerance is reduced to indifference, and 
men go limping along under the delusion that they are 
broad-minded, when, in reality, they are only indecisive. 

If you care to know what my experience of this fad 
indicates it is that the basis of most of it is mental and 
moral laziness. 


271 


PARABLES AND ALLEGORIES 


All these things spake Jesus in parables unto the multi- 
tudes.—Matthew 13: 34. 


The parables of Jesus are not allegories. 

An allegory is an unreal story meant to convey a les- 
son,—which it usually fails to do because it is unreal. 
A virtue, like Purity, or a vice, like Avarice, is dressed 
up in man’s or woman’s clothes and sent through a series 
of adventures. 

These do not interest or instruct us because things do 
not happen that way. Virtues and vices have to be em- 
bodied before they can be clothed; and they are never 
single, but always mixed. 

But a parable is a brief tale of real things and persons, 
carrying along with it (or beside it as the Greek name 
implies) a deeper meaning. It suggests a hidden picture 
to the mind’s eye. It whispers a message to the inward 
ear. 

Such are the parables of Jesus, stories of things that 
have occurred, or may have happened a hundred times, 
but told with a significance that goes beyond the mere 
tale. 

Why did Jesus prefer this method of speaking to the 
multitudes so much that, as the record says, “‘ without a 
parable spake he nothing unto them?” 

We do not know all the reasons. But two suggest 
themselves. 

First, he wished to catch their attention. Pictures 
attract children. Second, he wished to make them think. 

‘Thoughtlessness is the peril of the multitude. Unless 
you will think, neither reading nor listening will help 
you. 


272 


MEETING TEMPTATION 


Count it all joy, my brethren, when ye fall into mani- 
fold temptations; knowing that the proving of your 
faith worketh patience. And let patience have its per- 
fect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, lacking in 
nothing.—James 1: 2-4. 


It seems a hard saying to call on men to rejoice when 
they fall into temptations. How can that be? How can 
we be glad over such bitter experiences? 

In the first place notice that we are not urged to seek 
temptation. Jesus has taught us to pray: Lead us not 
into temptation. And the more a man knows of life the 
more earnestly does he utter that petition. 

Our call is not to seek temptation but to rejoice when 
we fall into it: that is to meet it with a joyful spirit— 
which is quite another thing from seeking it. 

And the reason why we should meet temptation joy- 
fully is because when we meet it in that spirit we ac- 
knowledge that it is a testing by means of which we may 
grow, that our business is victory over it, and that God’s 
purpose for us is increasing strength through trial. 

To seek out temptation self-confidently, as youth is 
inclined to do; or to meet it hopelessly, as is the fashion 
of age, are both fundemental errors that lead to many 
disasters. 

Our business is to meet temptation, when it comes, 
with joy. 

“ Why comes temptation but for man to meet 

And master, and make crouch beneath his foot, 
And so be pedestaled in triumph.” 


273 


SHOWING-OFF 


Take heed that ye do not your righteousness before 
men, to be seen of them.—Matthew 6: 1. 


It is not only children who are guilty of the sin of 
showing-off. Some of us get the habit young and retain 
it all our lives. 

We are terribly anxious lest our merits be overlooked. 
How humiliating to see others receive the plaudits of the 
crowd while we are unnoticed. 

Any one who has responsibility for the business affairs 
of a Church or any philanthropic enterprise is familiar 
with this common human weakness. How we love to 
lead off the subscription list. How we love to be known 
as generous givers and first citizens! Naturally publicity 
in such matters has its value for its just influence on 
others. But how often the spiritual value of gifts is 
destroyed because they are given to be seen of men. 

After all showing-off may build up a reputation, but 
it destroys the very foundation of genuine righteousness. 

Until we learn to do things from the sheer joy of doing 
them we may establish a reputation but we shall never 
build a character. 

And sooner or later, like the smart boy showing-off to 
the admiringly giggling little girls, we shall stub our toe 
and sprawl undignifiedly amid the unsympathetic laugh- 
ter of an amused world. 


274 


ON BEING SICK 


Wherefore I take pleasure in weaknesses, ... for 
Christ’s sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong.— 
II Corinthians 12: 10. 


Being unable to get rid of poor health, the Apostle 
Paul even took pleasure in his weakness because through 
it the power of Christ rested upon him. It is lofty doc- 
trine but it has found noble justification in the lives of 
many afflicted people who have followed Paul’s bold 
leading. 

Would that it were honoured by all people who carry 
the burden of ill-health! What a difference this would 
make to sympathetic families and friends, doctors and 
ministers! For there is no tyranny like the tyranny of 
exacting and querulous sick people. Verily they enjoy 
bad health, not because through it the sufficient power of 
God may rest upon them, but because they find in it an 
excuse for domineering over those whom they facilely 
assume have no troubles of their own. 

You can see humble and kindly persons wince under 
the complaints of these despots. You can see sympathetic 
natures wilting and shrivelling beneath the blazing rays 
of their egotism. 

Every one within reach is “‘ shanghaied ” for a listener 
to troubles which have long been exalted into justifica- 
tions for self-love. And the net result is a meaningless 
addition to the sorrows of the world. 

There is a right and a wrong way of taking pleasure 
in our weaknesses. Do we make ourselves a nuisance or 
an inspiration ? 


275 


THE ARISTOCRACY OF SERVICE 


Jesus knowing that the father had given all. things into 
his hands, and that he came forth from God, and goeth 
unto God ... began to wash the disciples’ feet—John 
1323-8. 


Every society has its aristocracy. Originally the word 
meant government by the best citizens. And surely no 
one could quarrel with that ideal. But this fine word has 
been abused until the emphasis has shifted from the idea 
of obligation to the idea of privilege. 

The story of Jesus washing the disciples’ feet sets be- 
fore us the true ideal of aristocracy—the ideal of service, 
Noblesse oblige. 

See how clearly these ideas of aristocracy and service 
are associated in the record. Jesus’ knowledge of his 
origin from God, of his destiny into God, of the power 
that God had put in his hands, led him to wash the dis- 
ciples’ feet. What could be plainer? Here are the el- 
ements which are the very essence of aristocracy: Noble 
origin and destiny combined with power. And in the 
hands of Jesus these qualifications lead directly to service. 

Here is the true aristocracy which is not exclusive but 
inclusive for all who will exercise its obligations. For 
to all men belong a common origin and destiny—God, 
and to all is given some measure of power under God. 

Is not this the genuine conception of aristocracy? Not 
a privileged class leaning back on its superior power over 
others; but a royal band consciously devoting its talents 
to the public welfare. 


276 


SPURIOUS SIMPLICITY 


Wherein are some things hard to be understood.— 


II Peter 3: 16. 


There is a great longing today for simplicity espe- 
cially in thought and speech. Most of us are no longer 
influenced by bombastic oratory or rhetoric. We want 
the simple truth. And this is a good sign of our times. 
But like all virtues it easily degenerates into a vice. 
There is a tendency abroad to reduce thought to spurious 
simplicity. Particularly dangerous is this in the realm 
of religion. Some men are describing Christianity as a 
simple, obvious, natural, easy thing. “They say: All you 
have to do is to drop theology and practice the sermon 
on the mount! 

Truly to live out the sermon on the mount is the fine 
flower of religion. But is that the whole of it? Is there 
no root from which the flower blossoms forth ? 

Religion is not just conduct. It is motive. It is com- 
munion with God. Why should I treat man as my 
brother unless God is our Father? And even suppose I 
want to do it, how can I, unless I have laid hold of 
divine power ? 

To simplify things especially in our all too confused 
age is important. But it is possible to go beyond the 
truth in the process. 

To preach ethics apart from the dynamic of faith may 
be easy but it is not effective. 

For the soul of man is a deep mystery and the will of 
man is not easily won to righteousness. 


277 


BELOVED HYMNS 


Singing and making melody with your heart to the 
Lord.—Ephesians 5: 19. 


How much nearer Christians are in their hymns than 
they are in their doctrinal creeds! 

All agree in using the Psalms as a common treasury 
of song. ‘‘ The Lord’s my shepherd, I’ll not want,” was 
written by a Jew, and translated by a Presbyterian. 

“ Jerusalem, the golden,” and ‘‘ There’s a wideness in 
God’s mercy,” were written by Catholics. “‘ Sun of my 
soul,” and ‘‘ Abide with me,” were written by Anglicans. 
“Nearer my God to Thee,” by a Unitarian; “ Dear 
Lord and Father of mankind,” by a Quaker; “ O little 
town of Bethlehem,’ by an American Episcopalian; 
“My faith looks up to Thee,” by a Congregationalist; 
*‘ Blest be the tie that binds,” by a Baptist; “ I heard the 
voice of Jesus say,” by a Presbyterian; and “‘ Jesus, lover 
of my soul,” by a Methodist. | 

But who of us would stop to hold a theological exami- 
nation on the authors before we join in these dear and 
holy songs? | 

The melody in our heart is too clear and simple to be 
troubled by controversies. The joy of the Holy Spirit 
lifts us nearer to that Heaven where, I hope and believe, 
we shall all see our Lord as He is and be changed into 
His likeness. 


278 


GOOD THINGS MISPLACED 


As snow in summer, and as rain in harvest so honour 
is not seemly for a fool.—Proverbs 26: 1. 


Snow in winter is a good thing; but not in summer. 
Rain is necessary, a “‘ useful trouble,” in the spring-time 
when the crops are growing; but not in autumn when 
they are ripe and ready for the harvest. Honour is a 
good thing when it is well-earned and wisely worn; but 
not when it comes to those who have not deserved it and 
know not how to use it. 

Yet in the course of nature, and of human nature, these 
misplacements of things in themselves good sometimes 
occur. A May frost blackens the orchard. An August 
flood ruins the hay; fools are set high in reputation and 
power. 

A loud-mouthed ignoramus is hailed as a great orator; 
a careless, lazy, cock-eyed painter is praised as a won- 
derful artist; a shallow and impudent writer is exalted 
as a genius; a narrow, selfish, and malignant politician 
is honoured as a statesman; and a solemn, silly propa- 
gandist of dead theories is called a sage. 

This is vexatious, of course,—summer snow and har- 
vest rain! But what can we do about it? Not very 
much; we have to take it as it comes; fretting over it 
will do no good. 

After all, these displacements are not permanent. 
They will pass away like dead leaves. Meantime we 
must try to keep our judgment sane and serene; to do our 
own task as well as we can; and to make up for refusing 
to honour eminent fools, by giving the more honour to 
good, quiet workmen in every field. 


279 


SMALL THINGS 


Behold the ships also, though they are so great and are 
driven by rough winds, are yet turned about by a very 
small rudder—James 3: 4. 


Size is not always an indication of importance. We 
all stop to look at a big man walking in a crowd. But 
he is not always superior to his less noticeable compan- 
ions. The giant Goliath was no doubt a splendid figure 
on the field of battle; but he was no match for the ruddy 
stripling David. 

It is all very interesting to see the tallest building in 
the world, or the largest ship, or the biggest city. But 
let us not forget that size apart from other qualifications 
is no indication of real superiority. 

There are small things which wield a mighty influence. 

A rudder is a small thing compared to the ship which it 
steers. But who wants to be on a rudderless ship? 

Your home may be very small and humble, but would 
you exchange it and all that it means for a residence in 
the biggest hotel in the world? 

A man may be a very small creature, but would you 
rather be an elephant or the man who controls him? 

Words are little things, but what tremendous power 
for good or evil they may exert! 

Let us beware lest we be deceived by mere bulk and 
miss the secret of spiritual power. 


280 


HALF-BAKED 
Ephraim is a cake not turned.—Hosea 7: 8. 


No one who has had the disagreeable experience of 
having to subsist on badly baked bread is likely to forget 
it. If it be your own cooking you may put up with it for 
a while out of pride, but soon or late, under the leader- 
ship of an insulted stomach the rebellion will break forth. 

‘The metaphor is equally true in the realm of human 
conduct and thought. Nothing is more provocative of 
revolt among the neighbours than a half-baked fellow 
from whom stream forth rash and ill-considered actions 
and unformed and lop-sided opinions. He is a constant 
source of social indigestion to those around him. And 
what a sorry figure he cuts,—scorched on one side, 
sticky and pasty on the other, an unpalatable and un- 
nourishing morsel! 

Of course even a good loaf goes through a time when 
it is only half-baked. But it is not at that moment of- 
fered for food. 

Experiments are assuredly necessary as a means of 
discovering further truth and disclosing ancient error. 
But when they concern human beings they ought to be 
conducted with due regard for human values. 

The heat of much thought ought to pass through all 
sides of an idea before it is issued in speech or action. 
At least it would prevent a lot of unnecessary and pain- 
ful indigestion. 


281 


A LESSON FOR GROWN-UPS 


He called to him a little child, and set him in the 
midst of them.—Matthew 18: 2. 


The output of preaching and teaching to children to 
prepare them for becoming men and women is enormous. 
And it is well that this should be so. It would be still 
better if that teaching and preaching should be more 
closely directed to giving them a true understanding of 
themselves and a clearer view of the moral opportunities 
and obligations of human life. 

But there is another side to this question which has 
been almost totally neglected except by those who are 
real lovers of the teachings of Jesus: that is, emphasis on 
the need of men and women to become little children. 

The truth is, spiritual maturity is a double process: 
that of growing up in experience and knowledge, and of 
becoming young again in spirit. 

Most of us seem to lack this combination of qualities. 
It is comparatively easy to become sophisticated and cyn- 
ical; but very exacting to attain to the wisdom revealed 
unto babes. 

Are you perhaps getting just.a little hard and bitter ? 
—maybe even justifiably so from the worldly view-point ? 

Establish a real personal interest in some child—your 
own child will do as well as any other—and let him or 
her reveal to you how to turn and become as a little child. 

Then you will be really grown up. 


282 


IF WINTER COMES 
Summer and winter ... shall not cease.-—Genesis 8 :22. 


‘The ontological argument for the existence of God has 
not much force nowadays, because metaphysics are out of 
fashion. ‘The teleogical argument has lost ground, be- 
cause people have misunderstood the teachings of evolu- 
tion. But the cosmological argument has gained ground, 
because science has taught us that a universe of law and 
order must be the creation of a Sovereign Reason and 
Will,—that is God. 

Winter strips the foliage off the trees, withers the 
flowers, binds the streams with icy fetters. But this does 
not mean destruction. It means only withdrawal for 
renewal. 

‘The buds on the leafless trees are promises. “The hopes 
in disappointed hearts are prophecies. How were they 
planted, save by the Lord of Life? 

In the midst of winter the assurance of coming spring 
is one of the pillars of the universe. In the presence 
of death the faith of immortality is the mainstay of 
mankind. 


283 


THE GOSPEL IS POWER 


I am not ashamed of the gospel: for it is the power of 
God unto salvation—Romans 1: 16. 


The world is full of impotent idealisms. ‘There is a 
great deal more appreciation of beauty, truth and good- 
ness than there is embodiment of them in life. 

Bacon declartd that knowledge is power. But this can 
never be the whole truth—as any learned man will tell 
you. Large numbers of men know what is good, and 
are yet utterly unable to practise it. “That is one of the 
great mysteries of life, that we should know the highest 
and yet choose for ourselves what is low. 

Certainly ignorance is one of the great evils that beset 
men, but it is far from being the only evil. “The leading 
forth of the mind among noble thoughts is a great ser- 
vice to mankind, but it is not the only thing needed. 
The will and the heart must be affected even more di- 
rectly than by education in this narrower sense. ‘There 
must be religion with education—otherwise education is 
impotent. We must be saved as well as illuminated. 

And here is where the Gospel comes in. “It is the 
power of God unto salvation.” Along with the truth— 
which is one, wherever and however apprehended—we 
require a power sufficient to enable us not only to recog- 
nize but to embody the truth. 

The Gospel is the only dynamic capable of transform- 
ing men from incompetent dreamers into sons of God. 


284 


GOD’S LAW AMONG BIRDS AND MEN 


Yea the stork in the heavens knoweth her appointed 
times; and the turtle-dove and the swallow and the 
crane observe the time of their coming; but my people 
know not the law of Jehovah.—Jeremiah 8: 7. 


Nothing is more impressive than to observe the regu- 
larity of nature. How evenly (with minor and occa- 
sional variations) the seasons come round. For one who 
knows how to watch them, the birds return each spring 
with a precision that is marvellous to consider. No one 
has ever adequately explained the astonishing phenom- 
enon of migration, though many have observed it. “The 
prophet Jeremiah in the Seventh Century B. C. makes 
one of the earliest literary references to it. He perceives 
that the birds come obediently to some great law of their 
being; and with their obedience he contrasts the disre- 
gard of his fellow countrymen for the law of God which 
ought to be equally written in their nature. Just as the 
birds return in accord with the mysterious summons of 
natural law, so ought men to move with precision and 
unanimity according to the law of God. 

Why is it that we will insist on having our own way 
and asserting the right of each moral being to break the 
law of God? What can be the outcome of such conduct 
but injury to ourselves and others? What chaos it 
would introduce into the delicate balance of nature if 
the doves suddenly rebelled against their call to migra- 
tion! And what chaos we are continually introducing 
into the delicate adjustments of the spiritual realm by 
the egotistic setting up of our puny plans against the 
immutable and sovereign law of God! 


285 


REMEMBERED ACHIEVEMENT 


David said, There is none like that; give it me.— 
I Samuel 21: 9. 


David was hard beset fleeing from the wrath of Saul, 
weaponless and alone, when he came to Nob and sought 
food of Ahimelech the priest. Having obtained the food, 
his next thought was for a weapon lest he be taken de- 
fenseless by his enemies. 

“‘ Is there not here under thy hand spear or sword?” 
he inquired. And Ahimelech took down the sword of 
Goliath, with which David on a famous former day had 
given the coup de grice to his country’s enemy. 

You can feel the thrill in David’s response as he 
reached out and took the sword: “ There is none like 
that; give it me.” And you know instinctively that the 
joy in his heart as his fingers closed around the hilt, had 
nothing to do with the quality of the steel or the balance 
of that mighty weapon. ; 

What lifted up David’s dejected heart and made him 
once more a bold, courageous man, was the revived mem- 
ory of that great exploit which, under God’s grace, he 
had performed. 

Even so may every man hope to find encouragement 
for himself in future trials, provided he meets today with 
fearless courage the challenge of the present moment. 


286 


GRATITUDE AND ITS EXPRESSION 


Were not the ten cleansed? but where are the nine? 


—Luke 17:17. 


It is a question full of pathos. Ten lepers who had 
besought Jesus’ mercy had been cleansed, but only one— 
and he a Samaritan—had returned to give thanks. 

No one knows why the nine failed to re-appear. For 
I think it must go without saying that they were thank- 
ful. Can you imagine a human being who would not 
rejoice at being rescued out of the power of a dread 
disease? And yet somehow they failed to express their 
gratitude. 

Frankly I am not one of those who thinks this is just 
a “notable illustration of the all but universal ingrati- 
tude of mankind.” I do not observe that men are un- 
thankful though I note that they frequently forget to 
express the thanks that they feel. We are thoughtless 
and careless and neglectful. Our feelings are sound, 
but our expression of them is usually inadequate and 
sometimes totally overlooked. In our secret hearts we 
do not take our blessings as a matter of course, but 
unfortunately we often act as if we did. 

Here is a lovely theme for life-long study: How to 
give suitable expression to the gratitude we feel. 

We all need to acquire more skill in directing lips, 
hands and feet at the bidding of a grateful heart. Other- 
wise the heart itself may shrivel, 


287 


FRUSTRATED GENIUS 


Oh that I were made judge in the land, that every 
man who hath any suit or cause might come unto me, 
and I would do him justice!—II Samuel 15: 4. 


The world always has a full complement of frustrated 

geniuses 
“ Wandering between two worlds, one dead, 
‘The other powerless to be born.” 

Absalom was one of them. Ambitious, critical of 
things as they were, self-confident, he thought that if 
only he were king all would be well. 

Doubtless there were abuses in David’s rule, but there 
was no hope of improvement in the steps Absalom took 
to supplant his father. , 

He fawned upon his fellow citizens who were in 
trouble and made large promises to discontented folks. 
At the same time he offered a self-revelation that indi- 
cated his incapacity for fulfilling the promises. 

Absalom was so obsessed with the genius that he 
thought he recognized in himself that he was blind to the 
evident genius in his father. Being a man without loy- 
alty or personal restraint, he coveted the rank of king for 
himself, convinced that there his frustrated genius might 
be recognized of all. But his abortive rebellion failed 
because it was founded on jealousy and ambition and 
lacked the stability of genuine and positive issues of 
human welfare. 

That is the usual experience of those who go about 
nursing the feeling that they are frustrated geniuses. 
Life has an exorable way of applying the acid test to 
their claims, 


288 


SENTIMENTALITY 


The children of Israel also wept again, and said, Who 
shall give us flesh to eat? We remember the fish, which 
we did eat in Egypt for nought; the cucumbers, and the 
melons, and the leeks, and the onions, and the garlic.— 
Numbers 11: 4-5. 


Everyone knows there is a world of difference between 
sentiment and sentimentality. All honest men have senti- 
ments. But your sentimentalist is an affected fellow, 
vulgar and shallow. 

It was perhaps inevitable that after so many years of 
slavery in Egypt the personal habits of the children of 
Israel should have become adapted to the conditions 
under which they lived. And again it was natural that 
amid the hardships of the wilderness their hearts should 
exaggerate the material comforts they had experienced in 
Egypt. 

But this maudlin weeping over the memory of the 
good food eaten in slavery was only rank sentimentality. 
I cannot help thinking that their tears must have flowed 
still more copiously as they remembered the leeks and 
the onions and the garlic. For the moment at least they 
gave themselves up to irrational feelings and forgot the 
moral condemnation of slavery which was the ground of 
God’s call to the exodus. So pitiful seemed the lack of 
leeks, onions and garlic especially when they gazed upon 
the dry and hard manna, that tears were irresistible. 

That is the root of sentimentality: overwrought feel- 
ings with sober moral reflection left out. 

It looks childish in other people. How do you think 
it looks in yourself? 


289 


GENTLENESS AND GREATNESS 
Thy gentleness hath made me great.—Psalm 18: 35. 


The strong man has always the tendency to be self- 
reliant even to the extent of being self-sufficient. He 
forgets how he got his strength. 

And how did he get it? 

Surely in one way or another he got it from gentleness, 
tenderness. 

Take a good look at this runner as he races around the 
cinder-track. What skill and power in those flashing 
legs and feet! But go back twenty or twenty-five years 
and observe him swaying unsteadily on wobbling legs and 
clutching his mother’s skirts. Can this runner be the 
same person as that child? Yes, the same,—made great 
by gentleness. 

Listen to this debater as he marshalls the forces of 
an overwhelming argument with a skill that sweeps 
everything before him. Can this be the same person 
as the child weeping over his alphabet and braced for 
the desperate assault on twenty-six letters by the pa- 
tience of an obscure teacher? Yes, the same,—made 
great by gentleness. 

Observe this woman among the sick and wounded. 
Skilful, tender, steady, she is a tower of strength to the 
sufferers. Be sure that somewhere gentleness has touched 
her and brought forth strength. 

There can be no greatness, whatever the form it take, 
without gentleness. 


“The child is father of the man; 
And I could wish my days to be 
Bound each to each by natural piety.” 


290 


PRAISE YE THE LORD 


I will sing praises unto my God while I have any 
being.—Psalm 146: 2. 


“I wish,” said a lovely old lady to me the other day, 
“I wish that the churches would learn how to praise 
God. I attend so many doleful services. It does me 
more good to praise God than anything else I do.” 

There is wisdom in those simple words—a wisdom 
needing particular emphasis today. 

It is a self-conscious age. “The over-conscientious peo- 
ple find themselves so concerned with duty, that they 
neglect praise. “The sceptical folks are so interested in 
analysing human nature and offering their one-sided in- 
terpretations, that they have no inclination for praise. 

We all greatly need the self-forgetfulness, the objec- 
tive frame of mind, that comes with honest praise. ‘There 
is a fine freedom which can only be experienced by those 
who rejoice in the nature and governance of God. There 
‘is a renewal of spirit that is derived only from blotting 
out the memory of petty things in an exalted gratitude 
for major blessings. 

Say what you will truthfully about the sorrows and 
limitations of human life and the insoluble mysteries of 
the creation, there yet remains the clear call to praise 
God. For the real origin of religion is not a hopeless 
wail for help, but the joyful shout of expectant faith. 


291 


THE ONE FOUNDATION 


Other foundation can no man lay than that which is 
laid, which is Jesus Christ-—I Corinthians 3:11. 


Nothing is more important than the beginning of an 
enterprise. 

What kind of a fool would you call a builder who 
commenced his building without first carefully choosing 
a good foundation? And yet many of us do that very 
thing with our lives. We start acquiring education and 
making friends and generally erecting the house of our 
lives without any regard to whether we are building on 
swamp or sand or rock. Is it any wonder that the air 
echoes with the crash of falling lives and that the ground 
is covered with the wreckage? ; 

First choose your foundation. Begin at the beginning. 
You can’t build a life any more than a house from the 
roof down. And as the foundation of a secure house is 
the living rock, so the foundation of human life is the 
living Christ. . 

He lived the only completely successful life we know 
anything about. Sin, pain and death, these perpetual 
enemies of mankind, were impotent before Him. Like 
a shining lily in the light of the ages, like the towering 
castles of man’s dreams rises the straight and true and 
perfect edifice of His life. Reality has only once attained 
to it; imagination can reach no further, 


292 


THE SYMPATHY OF FRIENDS 


Whom when Paul saw, he thanked God, and took 
courage.—Acts 28:15. 


There is no more beautiful incident in the Bible than 
the account of Paul’s arrival at the market of Appius. ~ 
Buffeted in shipwreck, narrowly escaped from death on 
land and sea, he comes ashore on his way to Rome, Rome 
the goal of his ambition. But he comes as a prisoner 
under guard. Small wonder if he walks despondently. 
What a contrast to his hopes! Furthermore, he is cut 
off from knowledge of his beloved Churches in Asia 
Minor. Would you blame him if he were wrapped in 
gloom? 

But look! What is this? Friendly faces, kindly 
greetings. A little band of Christians from the Ro- 
man Church have come forty-three miles to meet him, 
“Whom when Paul saw he thanked God and took cour- 
age.’ ©O lovely gesture of Christian sympathy! ‘They 
could not release him from bonds, but they could walk 
beside him on that sorrowful journey and cheer him with 
word and look. 

We all find ourselves at one time or another in sorrows 
which our friends can do nothing to end but which they 
may do everything to transform. What experience can 
be more heartening in a day of trouble than to look up 
and see the faces and hear the words of loyal friends? 
Truly there is nothing more lovely in the world than 
the sympathy of our friends. 


293 


THE REVEALING POWER OF FRIENDSHIP 


Iron sharpeneth iron; 
So aman sharpeneth the countenance of his friend. 
—Proverbs 27:17. 


In an examination in a Sunday School with which I 
am connected the question was asked: What is a friend? 
A little girl of ten years wrote this answer: “ A friend 
is some one who will tell you things that no one else will 
tell you.” 

The more I reflect on those words the more am I im- 
pressed with the little girl’s wisdom. Both by way of 
personal commendation and condemnation and by way 
of comment on life a friend will tell you things that no 
one else will tell you. From a friend you will obtain 
those gracious, intimate glimpses of life without which it 
is all a barren waste. For only between friends can 
such revealing comments pass. Among strangers there 
is not enough confidence. 

But from other things that the little girl wrote in the 
same examination I am led to understand that she was 
placing particular emphasis on a friend’s ability to help 
you obtain a true knowledge of yourself. Of course no 
one can keep friends if he seeks simply to gain a reflec- 
tion of himself from them. Nevertheless it is true that 
in friendship we learn more about our friends and about 
ourselves than is possible in any other way. 

Surely life can find no deeper significance than in the 
gracious glimpses of another soul and in the truthful 
presentation of yourself that real friendship affords. 


294 


FRIENDLY GESTURES 


Salute one another 
The saints salute you 
—Epistles (passim). 


There are many instances of these friendly gestures in 
the Epistles of the New Testament. At first reading 
perhaps the frequent messages to and from Prisca and 
Aquila and Mary and Timothy and others seem of little 
significance to us. We may even think they take away 
from the universal appeal of the Epistles. 

But stop for a moment and reflect. What could be 
more indicative of the Christian spirit than the desire to 
exchange personal salutations? It shows how deep and 
true the currents of these Epistles run that with their 
tremendous themes they yet contain these lovely friendly 
salutations. 

For it is a worthy instinct of human nature, this de- 
sire to give and receive a salutation. It has nothing to 
do with the economic conditions of life; and except for 
the fact that man is above all else a spiritual being it 
would be totally futile. But there it is, written into the 
nature of every man of good will: 

The postman passes the time of day as he delivers the 
mail; the *bus driver lifts one hand in salute from his 
wheel as he passes his fellow-driver on the road; the 
brakeman leans out from his car platform as his train 
rushes through the station where his friend is employed ; 
the captain pulls the whistle cord in salute as his vessel 
passes the ship piloted by his friend. 

And every once in a while some one with whom we 
thought we had only a business or professional relation 
sends us a message on the occasion of some joy or sorrow 
that reminds us of the breadth and depth of human 
sympathy, | 


295 


“GLITTERING GENERALITIES ” 
All men are liars—Psalm 116: 11. 


No error is easier than that of drawing a greater con- 
clusion than is warranted by the premises with which we 
start. An isolated instance is enlarged into an inviolable 
rule of nature. A partial observation is treated as if it 
were an exhaustive study. 

Men make a flying visit to a strange country and come 
home to discuss the delicate problems of that country 
with a finality that would be ludicrous if it did not have 
such serious results. 

When we ourselves are ill or in trouble how quickly 
we assume that the whole world is a gloomy place. We 
enlarge our own particular feelings and experiences into 
principles of world-wide significance. 

Having had some hard experiences in dealing with 
several persons we conclude that all human nature (ex- 
cept our own peculiar share of it) is corrupt. 

Having been defrauded we make up our minds that all 
business is dishonest. 

Having once known a minister or Church officer who 
fell publicly before temptation we declare that all relig- 
ion is hypocrisy. ? 

Many a verdict which we feel quite free to declare 
whenever we please, if tracked down to its origin is 
founded on an isolated instance magnified by desire or 
interest to.an invariable law. 

The habit of generalizing may be a thought-process 
needful to dealing with the future, but it ought to be 
exercised very carefully lest it proclaim us as fools in the 
eyes of real thinkers, 


296 


OBVIOUS SERVICE 


It is not fit that we should forsake the word of God, 
and serve tables.—Acts 6: 2. 


The decision to make service the goal of your life is 
excellent so far as it goes. But it has soon to be trans- 
lated into terms of action. And then the difficulty be- 
gins. For there are as many kinds of service as there are 
kinds of men in the world. 

The easiest thing to do of course is to lay hold of the 
nearest useful job and do it without regard to your quali- 
fications. ‘There are always plenty of zealous but un- 
discriminating persons who are interested in securing 
occupants for the positions for which they are responsible 
regardless of any human waste it may entail. But the 
business of a man who has his life to invest is not only 
to find a useful job, but a job that calls for all his 
abilities. 

It was not pride that made the Apostles unwilling to 
spend their time serving tables. Doubtless it would have 
been a great show of humility for them to undertake this 
worthy and needed service. But they perceived that they 
were required for other work and they secured the ap- 
pointment of new men for this service. 

Let a man beware lest the popularity of the service 
idea betray him into undertaking work which bears the 
obvious service label rather than work that is a higher 
though less noticeable service, 


297 


A BIT OF SENTIMENT 


And David longed, and said, Oh that one would give 
me water to drink of the well of Bethlehem, which is by 
the gate!—II Samuel 23:15. 


In the Cave of Adullam, among his fierce and ragged 
warriors, the heart of David went back to his boyhood, 
and he longed for a draught of water from that well 
where he had often quenched his thirst when he was a 
shepherd-lad. I do not know that it was especially good 
water. But he wanted it for old times’ sake. 

Bethlehem was then in the hands of the Philistines. 
But three of David’s mighty men risked their lives to 
break into the enemy’s stronghold, and bring back the 
water for which their chief’s heart thirsted. When he 
held the cup in his hand he realized what his friends had 
dared for him. His heart was satisfied. He could not 
drink the precious water, but poured it on the ground 
with prayer as an offering to God. 

Sentimentality? No, friend, it was not that. But it 
was sentiment, real and true and deep: the power that 
makes us love the memories of home and defend them; 
the power that binds loyal men to a brave leader; the 
power that lifts human life above the level of a logical 
machine and makes it a fine adventure. 

A man without sentiment is like a tree without sap,— 
not a tree, but a post. 


298 


SHORT-CUTS 
He that believeth shall not be in haste.—Isaiah 28: 16. 


The habit of taking short-cuts is one that lays strong 
hold on people who are always in a hurry. We think we 
shall save time by cutting our corners. Sometimes this 
is justified. But in our age short-cutting is far more of 
a careless habit than a reasoned attempt to save time for 
more valuable purposes. 

There are hundreds of illustrations. 

Jay-walking in our crowded cities is not done by the 
men with important business to transact, but by the 
thoughtless folks. 

‘The true mountaineer is not looking for the shortest 
and quickest way to the summit. He is looking for the 
surest way—even if it takes more time. 

The man who desires a trained mind is not looking for 
the easiest way to get a college degree. 

In fact everyone that has important business in hand 
knows that full allowance of time is a necessary element 
in carrying out his purpose. Nothing really worth while 
is accomplished in a hurry. It pays to go the full course. 

Perhaps if we all realized and practised this there 
would be less hectic and unbalanced short-cutting, fewer 
half-baked college degrees, and more of that patience and 
poise that mark the man who knows that time is needed 
to get anywhere worth going. 

In matters of religion this truth is of vital import. 
The man who believes in God is not anxious about cut- 
ting corners because he is engaged in tasks 

“Too great for haste, too high for rivalry.” 


299 


A STEP FORWARD 


After the (Way which they call a sect, so serve I the 
God of our fathers, believing all things which are ac- 
cording to the law, and which are written in the prophets. 
—Acts 24:14. 


There is a line of continuity with the past that must 
be maintained, if any progress is to be rendered possible. 
Only the man who respects the past is able to take a step 
forward, because he alone is qualified to know not only 
what is feasible but to judge what will be beneficial. 

And yet the fact must be plain to all lovers of mankind 
that what has been in the past ought by no means to be 
the sole determining factor in any situation. “There come 
times in history when a change from what has preceded 
is necessary. Such are times of crisis, no doubt; but it 
will not do to shut our eyes to their existence, nor to try 
to meet them with the usual means of ordinary times. 

The ground-gains of progress may come by imper- 
ceptible degrees, but the consolidation of those gains for 
the benefit of all the people must often seem the result 
of sudden “ breaks ” with the past. And so they are, for 
the vast majority of people. There are only a few who 
are deep enough in thought at any time of crisis, to per- 
ceive that the cataclysm is but the next imperceptible 
degree of advance in a chain of events, 


300 


FORMS THAT FALSIFY 


Ye have made void the word of God because of your 
tradition.— Matthew 15: 6. 


The great peril which all moral truth faces is lest the 
form in which it appears become first the cell in which it 
is imprisoned, and finally the coffin in which it is buried. 
Forms and institutions are vital to the manifestation of 
truth in such a world as this; but there is continual dan- 
ger lest the body be taken as identical with the spirit. 

A man’s clothes and house are important to him so 
long as he is alive. But of what value are they if he 
be dead ? 

Just so is it with moral truth. What is the use of 
concerning, ourselves with forms and traditions and con- 
ventions and institutions in which to array truth, if these 
things cut off the vital breath of life? And if, in seeking 
to devise clothing and a dwelling-place for truth, we 
produce sumptuous raiment and a splendid palace as a 
setting, but smother the life out of truth, of what profit 
is it? Who will be instructed by a corpse? 

It was not only some of the ancient Pharisees who 
made this error. It is a common error in every age. 

The one safeguard lies in remembering that forms and 
institutions, like clothes and houses, are only of value for 
contributing to the life of the spirit. 


301 


POWER OF FORGIVENESS 


There is forgiveness with Thee, 
That Thou mayest be feared. 
—Psalm 130: 4. 


No experience is more terrible than that of being for- 
given. ‘There is no one we hate more than the man we 
have wronged. But if he insists on forgiving us we are 
overwhelmed with confusion. A young Christian work- 
ing man told me that he lost a valued tool from his tool 
kit and recognized it later in the kit of his fellow work- 
man. Being the only Christian at work in the room he 
felt it incumbent upon him to show forgiveness. So he 
went to the thief and said, “I see you have one of my 
tools, but you can keep it if you need it.”” Then he went 
on with his work and put the incident out of his mind. 
During the next two weeks the thief three times tried to 
give the value of the tool to its rightful owner—once by 
offering to give him something else of equal value, again 
by offering his services between hours, and again by slip- 
ping money into his coat pocket. ‘The incident closed 
with a lasting friendship between the two men because, 
said the thief, “I couldn’t stand being forgiven.” 

Even more irresistible is God’s forgiveness toward us. 
How puny and vain are our struggles against it. ‘“‘ God 
commendeth his own love toward us in that, while we 
were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” 


302 


SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY 
Am I my brother’s keeper?—Genesis 4: 9. 


When Cain had murdered Abel and heard God asking, 
** Where is Abel thy brother? ”’ he must have known that 
God was not asking for information. And yet he chose 
to answer with the sulky response, “I know not,” and 
then added the peevish defense, “Am I my brother’s 
keeper? ’”’—must I be able at all times to account for 
where my brother is and what he is doing? 

The defense was absurd, and Cain must have realized 
it even while he spoke. Of course Cain was not respon- 
sible for Abel’s conduct and whereabouts! But he was 
responsible for what he had done to Abel. And this was 
what God was asking about. Why is not Abel free and 
living like yourself? 

No one can be held accountable in the final sense for 
what other people do. That would be a violation of the 
rights of personality. But we are responsible for what 
we do to others, directly and indirectly. ‘To deny this is 
to run in the face of social responsibility which is just as 
real as individual rights. 

No, Cain was not his brother’s keeper; but, as has 
often been pointed out, he ought to have been his 
brother’s brother. 


393 


CASE-WORK 


If a brother or sister be naked and in lack of daily 
food, and one of you say unto them, Go in peace, be 
ye warmed and filled; and yet ye give them not the 
things needful to the body; what doth it profit?—-James 
2: 15-16. 


Theory and practice are brought together in the rather 
unattractive but important word “ Case-work,” from the 
Social Worker’s vocabulary. It is one thing to work out 
a theory—especially a theory about human life—and it 
is quite another thing to deal with the concrete cases 
which life presents. I would not utter a word in dis- 
paragement of the teaching of theories in classroom and 
study. “Theories ought to be the product of accumulated 
experience boiled down to a residuum of wisdom. 

Unfortunately there is too often in college, seminary, 
church and other institutions, a tendency to formulate 
theories in almost total dissociation from facts. For 
example, that ancient unreality, the economic man, has 
certainly never existed on land or sea. Or, again, who 
could conceive in real life such a stilted caricature as is 
often held up before us as the Christian ideal ? 

This business of analysing life into its constituent parts 
and then theorizing about each part as if it were in a 
vacuum, leads inevitably to ridiculous conclusions. ‘The 
only safeguard lies in disciplining the generalizing ten- 
dency of the mind by continual dealing with concrete 
instances. 

If you think that faith is everything, observe its in- 
adequacy as you deal with a brother or sister naked and 
in lack of daily food. 


SPIRITUAL INDEBTEDNESS 


Who maketh thee to differ? and what hast thou that 
thou didst not receive?—I Corinthians 4: 7. 


It is a common failing (especially among men) to as- 
sume that all we have and are is in some mysterious way 
to be directly traced to our own private virtues. Most 
men hate to recognize their indebtedness to any one else, 
and very few acknowledge it. And yet to recognize and 
acknowledge indebtedness is one of the plainest marks of 
genuine religion. 

The trouble is we like to think of the world as a battle- 
field in which we go forth to snatch achievement and 
fame for ourselves. As a matter of fact, it is much more 
nearly a co-operative society in which pooled effort pro- 
vides the opportunity which genius seizes when it comes. 

How many great men would there be if you took 
away the little red schoolhouses and the nameless 
teachers ? 

How many unknown wives and mothers find their 
monuments in careers too often regarded as individual 
achievements ? 

And would it not be better for us all if we generously 
acknowledged our indebtedness for what we have and are 
to all sorts and conditions of people? 

Paul showed himself a truly great man, for he knew 
that Life itself is the best Teacher, and that there is no 
man who cannot instruct some one else. 

For the only career that any man produces by his own 
unaided efforts is that of the perfect fool. 


395 


THE LONG LOOK 


The sons of this world are for their own generation 
wiser than the sons of the light-—Luke 16: 8. 


It’s all very nice to associate prosperity with honesty, 
but we all know that this association is accidental and 
no law. 

To disregard all scruples is easily the surest way of 
getting immediate results, “The wicked has an enormous 
temporary advantage over the man who will not act out- 
side his principles. You may know what course the 
righteous man will take if you know a moral principle 
when you see one. But you cannot plan to meet the 
evil man’s schemes because you can never be sure which 
way his advantage lies. For it is his regular procedure 
to hide his trail beneath many false clues. 

‘The rich man whose dishonest steward used his lost 
job to provide himself with new friends was doubtless 
not pleased at discovering the fact. But he recognized 
the unrighteous steward’s personal astuteness. For the 
moment he had done well for himself. “That’s where 
evil is strong. 

“But suppose the story went further. Can you not see 
trouble inevitably gathering for the steward and even 
for his innocent descendants and relatives? 

For their own generation the sons of the world are 
wiser than the sons of the light. But for the eternity of 
the soul or even the duration of humanity they are in- 
expressibly stupid, | 


306 


~ ALERTNESS WITH DEPENDENCE 
Watch and pray.— Matthew 26: 41. 


Commonly we obey only one-half of this command- 
ment. But its strength lies in the interplay of the two 
parts. 

Sometimes we fail because, though we are very much 
awake ourselves, we rely exclusively on our own alert- 
ness. “The inevitable outcome is disaster, for as Jeremiah 
has truly said: “It is not in man that walketh to direct 
his steps.” 

This is the common error of the man who is obsessed 
with the idea of his own importance and temporarily ig- 
norant of life. It is the common attitude of the worldly 
man, 

Again we omit the other half of the commandment. 
We besiege heaven with prayer and then shut our eyes to 
our particular part in God’s answer to that prayer. We 
pray but neglect to watch. Plenty of people who think 
they are very religious make this mistake. 

Jesus’ command calls for both vigilance and supplica- 
tion, readiness and dependence. 

“Pray to God and row to shore,’”’ says the proverb of 
the Russian fishermen. “ Pray to God and keep your 
powder dry,” runs the saying of our pioneer forefathers. 

There are two sides to man’s religious life: his own 
honest efforts and God’s guidance and support. Each 
without the other is inadequate. 


307 


GENEROSITY 


Remember the words of the Lord Jesus, that he him- 
self said, It is more blessed to give than to receive.— 
Acts 20: 35. 


‘The Christmas season is a time when generosity finds 
its fullest expression. It is natural now to give. And 
many people are getting a fresh understanding of the 
experience that it is more blessed to give than to receive. 

But it is not just indiscriminate giving that is blessed. 
There is such a thing as giving in a way to please your- 
self but injure the recipient. ‘The doting parent and the 
spoilt child are the well known representatives of that 
error. But there are others. 

We must beware, it is true, of falling into the mean 
attitude of those disciples who complained when the poor 
woman brought the box of precious ointment to Jesus. 
They considered it wasteful, “ for this ointment might 
have been sold for above three hundred shillings and 
given to the poor.’ But Jesus rebuked this carping 
frame of mind. 

And yet all this is not to say that there is no need to 
direct our gifts where they shall bring real benefit. It is 
so easy to please ourselves in giving and overlook a com- 
monplace but worthy individual or cause. 

In this connection it is interesting to recall that the 
first money received by Morse, the inventor of the tele- 
graph, for the actual sale of his patent rights (for use on 
a short line from the Post Office to the National Ob- 
servatory in Washington) was presented by him to a 
Sunday School, 


308 


RICHNESS OF LIFE 
Be ye also enlarged.—II Corinthians 6: 13. 


One reason why we live such circumscribed lives is 
because we only give our attention to those things which 
directly concern our business or our comfort. We forget 
that a whole universe is at hand to interpret to us the 
meaning of life. 

That is why every one who can possibly do so ought 
to have some sort of hobby,—some interest to lead outside 
of himself, where he can lose the strain of his particular 
life in the wonder of the universal aspect. 

It may be some form of sport, or sketching,—no matter 
how bad the sketches,—or some animal to care for and 
watch, or (like Oliver Wendell Holmes) measuring and 
marvelling at New England elm trees. Anything el- 
emental will do. 

To centre your attention on your own life in its minor 
aspects is always discouraging. Bye and bye you will find 
yourself a prisoner of boredom. But to turn on your life 
the light and interpretation of the universe is to find in 
it both beauty and value. 

For one of the great lessons which a man must learn 
if he would experience fulness of life, is how to keep his 
eye on the particular object before him and his mind on 
the universe, 


309 


CHRISTMAS FOR ALL 


Good tidings of great joy which shall be to all the 
people.—Luke 2: 10. 


The first quality of a spiritual gift is its universality. 
It belongs to all people. ‘The exigencies of time and 
space may call for a limited reception at first, but the 
gift is not for a privileged few, but for all men. 

So is it with the good news on which the celebration 
of Christmas is founded. Coming first to the shepherds 
in the fields, it was intended for all the people. Coming 
first to the Jewish nation, it was directed to all the 
world. ‘God so loved the world,”—the cosmos, the sum 
total of created things,—“ that he sent his only begotten 
son.” 

And indeed one of the most characteristic features of 
the Christmas spirit is the desire to share its celebration 
as widely as possible. ‘The spirit of generosity is abroad. 
We cannot bear to hear of any one left out. Every ap- 
peal for neglected humanity falls on sympathetic ears. 
The solidarity of the human race is an accepted axiom 
at this season. 

The next step toward the fulfilment of the Christmas 
spirit is evident: we must make the attitude of good will 
a permanent spiritual relation with all men. 

‘There are many signs to the unjaundiced eye that this 
movement is begun. May it receive a fresh impetus and 
an increasing stability in each Christmas season. 


310 


PREPARATIONS 


Prepare ye in the wilderness the way of Jehovah; make 
level in the desert a highway for our God.—Isaiah 40: 3. 


No sensible person expects to find a house built or a 
dinner cooked unless preparations are first made, the 
materials assembled, and the work done. 

And yet lots of people act as if preparation for spir- 
itual realizations were totally unnecessary. “They neglect 
the private and public practices of religion and then feel 
aggrieved because God seems unreal to them. Some peo- 
ple hustle off to Church unwillingly, sit through service 
thinking over a thousand and one extraneous matters, 
and wonder why Church is so dull. 

Take this matter of celebrating Christmas. Some 
people are regularly disappointed in it. “They expect 
some great experience on Christmas Day, but fail to find 
it. Why? Because they do nothing to prepare their 
hearts for it. 

Not that the preparation produces the experience. No; 
but the experience requires that we should be prepared 
in order to appreciate it. Otherwise, like Bunyan’s 
Muck Raker, we will not see the angel because our eyes 
are fixed on the ground. 

‘There are laws of preparation for enjoying spiritual 
events just as there are laws of preparation leading up 
to any other realization you may name. 

Is it not a shame to spend so much time preparing 
for everything else, while we spend so little time pre- 
paring ourselves to perceive and appreciate spiritual 
experiences? 


311 


HOSPITALITY 


. . . Because there was no room for them in the inn. 


—Luke 2: 7. 


There is a deep note of human pathos in the simple 
narrative of the events of the first Christmas—something 
infinitely affecting that moves the heart far more pro- 
foundly than resounding and eloquent words. 

The elemental desires and relations of the human soul 
are touched: the unutterable yearning of the heart for 
salvation; the simplicity of the greatest events; the meek- 
ness of mankind at the best; the smallness of beginnings 
that have the most far-reaching consequences. 

Take this simple fact: the spiritual King of the whole 
earth was born in the straw amid the oxen and asses. 
What an emphasis that gives to man’s instinctive desire 
to show hospitality! 

And when we add to it Jesus’ teaching ‘‘ Inasmuch as 
ye did it unto one of these my brethren, even these least, 
ye did it unto me,” the lesson is complete. 

Who can measure the effect of this example on man’s 
generous but often denied instinct to show hospitality to 
his fellowmen! 

How many through the centuries have found shelter 
and care, fire and food, because the Christchild and his 
mother and the patient Joseph were crowded that first 
Christmas night out of the inn and lay in the stable! 


“Unbar your heart this evening 
And keep no stranger out, 
‘Take from your soul’s great portal 
‘The barrier of doubt. 
‘To humble folk and weary 
Give hearty welcoming, 
Your breast shall be tomorrow 


The cradle of a king.” 


312 


CHRISTMAS IN THE HEART 
Let us now go even unto Bethlehem.—Luke 2: 15. 


To Bethlehem our hearts, star led 
From wanderings far and wild, 
Turn to a lowly cattle-shed 
And kneel before the Child. 


We come from deserts, pitiless 
With lonely human pride; 

And from the howling wilderness 
Where dread and hate abide. 


Touched by his hand we find release 
From heavy griefs and fears: 
Our hearts are lifted up with peace 


And purified by tears. 


Ah Saviour dear! Thou Holy Child, 
What power is thine to heal 

Our broken hearts, our wills defiled, 
When at thy feet we kneel. 


Grant us thy grace no more to roam, 
But, following thee alway, 

Find Bethlehem in every home, 

_ The whole year Christmas Day. 


313 


OBEDIENCE 


Christ who... though he was a Son, yet learned 
obedience by the things which he suffered; and having 
been made perfect, he became unto all them that obey 
him the author of eternal salvation—Hebrews 5: 8, 9. 


The same idea is expressed in other words by other 
writers in the New Testament, but I have chosen this 
infrequently quoted form because it emphasizes a much 
neglected word: obedience,—Christ’s obedience to his 
Father and the requirement that we obey Christ. 

Obedience is certainly an unpopular idea in the mind 
of undisciplined age as well as of callow youth. Lots of 
people love their independence to such a degree that they 
surrender moral freedom. For moral freedom is not 
the result of unrestricted self-expression, but of obedience 
to the will of God: 

“Our wills are ours to make them Thine.” 

‘That was the way by which Jesus became perfect. 
Tempted to put his will before God’s he prayed victori- 
ously: ‘ Not as I will but as Thou wilt.” 

As we look about us on the confused moral situation 
and the tumultuous world conditions of today, can we 
not see that they are definitely connected with the com- 
mon despising of obedience? Men are talking a great 
deal about Jesus and his teaching. What we all need is 
to obey him. The thing that will make for salvation as 
a reality both as regards this world and the life beyond, 
is obedience to him who though he was a son yet learned 
obedience, 


314 


MEN AND CIVILIZATION 


The city which hath the foundations, whose builder 
and maker is God.—Hebrews 11: 10. 


A little boy from the country was with me in New 
York one day, and I was carelessly talking to him in a 
way I imagined he would find interesting. I told him 
about tall buildings, and big bridges, and long trains of 
cars, and huge busses, and gigantic steamers, and all the 
wonders of a modern city. He listened for a while and 
then turned with the fearless and direct gaze of a child, 
and said quite simply: ‘‘ Oh, everything’s big except 
what’s alive.” Was it not the remark of an observant 
philosopher ? 

Of course progress, has been made in public health and 
education, etc., etc. But is it or Is it not true that our 
material civilization has far outstripped our mental and 
moral and physical development? ‘To a fresh and un- 
prejudiced eye, must we not often appear totally insignif- 
icant alongside of our creations? ‘The maker may be 
greater than the thing made; but what if the inventions 
persistently destroy the inventors? “The magnificence and 
power of our civilization cannot be measured apart from 
the men in it. For in reality the civilization is only the 
setting for the men. 

What sort of men are they that live amid the wonders 
and powers of our age? Do they justify or condemn our 
civilization? Do we seek to build only the tallest, the 
biggest, the most magnificent city, regardless of its effect 
on human beings; or do we seek the city which hath the 
foundations, whose builder and maker is God? 


315 


CONTENTMENT 


I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therein to be 
content.—Philippians 4: 11. 


Sitting on a rock under a clump of spruces on the 
Maine sea coast one summer morning, I watched the 
pleasant panorama of life before me. Overhead in the 
evergreen branches several warblers were alternately 
feeding and singing. On the sea beach a plover ran 
daintily back and forth before the incoming and receding 
waves to pick up his food. Above the shimmering water 
darted a tern now and again plunging into the water in 
pursuit of a fish that ventured near the surface. 

I did not hear the tern bewailing his fate because he 
could not sing like the warblers. Nor did the plover 
gaze wistfully at the tern and yearn for his long, graceful 
wings. Nor did the warblers to my knowledge cry out 
against the injustice of their unwebbed feet. 

Only man—until he learns the beauty of God’s laws— 
is querulous, dissatisfied. 

There is, of course, a sense in which discontent is a 
quality of divinity. But what is there divine about the 
childish rebellion and futile complaining with which we 
waste so many precious hours? . 

There are many wrong things which need righting. 
But not everything that is, is wrong—even among men. 


316 


CHEERFUL TRUST 
Be of good cheer.—John 16: 33. 


One of the most characteristic of Jesus’ words in his 
earthly ministry was, ‘‘ Be of good cheer.” It is unfor- 
tunately not so characteristic of his followers as it was 
of our Master and his first disciples. Our approach to 
Christianity is often wrong. We ask ourselves: In view 
of all we know about life, can we reconcile these things 
with the Christian position? 

The first disciples being captured by faith and lopalty, 
came at the issue from the positive side. 

Perhaps that is why they were more joyful and con- 
sequently more daring and powerful than most of us. 

Of course it is only the fool who is continuously light- 
hearted. We are wisely told to “ rejoice with them that 
rejoice and weep with them that weep.” But nothing is 
more helpful to your friend and yourself than a consistent 
tone of cheerfulness running through your life. 

There is a sense in which human life is an insoluble 
riddle. But does it become more desirable or valuable 
when we lugubriously occupy ourselves with this single 
aspect? Life is an experience to be enjoyed as well as 
a problem to be solved. 

Jesus radiated good cheer because he trusted in God’s 
ability to use men for his holy purpose, rather than in 
man’s ability to explain and manage the universe. 

Faith in God is the one sure source of cheerfulness. 


317 


A QUIET HEART 


Because he knew no quietness within him, 
He shall not save aught of that wherein he delighteth. 
—Job 20: 20. 


This chapter of Job describes ‘‘the portion of a wicked 
man from God, and the heritage appointed unto him by 
God.” The heart of its truth is found in the brief phrase 
“no quietness within him.” 

The wicked man cannot obtain quietness within. He 
is adrift on a sea of calamity. Like an ill-ballasted ship 
even a favourable wind only serves to buffet him. All 
the meaning and purpose is gone out of life because the 
spiritual stability is lacking. “The very things he desires 
turn to nothing as he obtains them. 

It is all an old and commonplace story; but until it is 
driven home to the conscience of humanity there will 
always be an extra supply of sorrow and trouble in the 
world. 

Every returned Prodigal Son knows it well, and many 
a man who is still in the riotous living stage begins to 
perceive it, but still lacks the courage and strength to 
acknowledge himself wrong and turn in the new direction. 

On the other hand the man who carries in himself the 
peace of God which passeth understanding may be hard 
beset by the tempests of life. He may eyen be ship- 
wrecked as many a gallant vessel has been. But his 
shall be the glory of going down with his gear intact and 
himself in the line of duty. 

And even the last struggle shall be waged with joy 
because there is quietness within. 


318 


CHRISTIAN HOPE 


Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace 
in believing, that ye may abound in hope, in the power of 
the Holy Spirit.—Romans 15: 13. 


The Christian doctrine of hope is one of the most im- 
portant of all doctrines. And yet it is little spoken of 
and less meditated upon. Why is this? 

Is it not because we erroneously think that hope is 
simply a weak word for faith? Of course if that were 
true, we should be quite right in finding hope superseded 
by faith. But hope in the Christian sense is an entirely 
different thing. It is not that which may become faith; 
it is rather the flower of faith, the desire for and the 
expectation of future good, both for this life and for the 
life beyond death. Faith in God is the root out of which 
that hope springs and, apart from it, faith must ever 
stand in danger of degenerating into a fanatical obsession 
without meaning for human life. 

Christian hope is not the mere unreasoning resiliency 
of the human spirit, the toughness of the fibre of life. 
‘The Christian does not shut his eyes and declare obsti- 
nately and stubbornly: “‘ Nevertheless I will hope.” 
Rather he lifts up his eyes and says: ‘“‘ I believe in God, 
and therefore will I hope.” 

More than this: the Christian finds justification for 
hope not only as a conclusion from considering the nature 
of God, but above all as an experience of the living 
presence of God with him in every event of life. 


319 


INDEX OF IDEAS 


The purpose of this index is to make accessible in alphabeti- 


cal order the main ideas presented in these reflections. 


With 


this end in view all references to the same general idea are 
grouped under the simplest word or phrase that may represent 


or suggest that idea. 


Achievement, 286 
Adaptability, 157 
Adventure, 156 
Advice, 128, 155 
Alertness, 306 
Allegories, 272 
Amusements, 153 
Ancestors, 35, 47 
Aristocracy, 229, 276 
Authority, 149 


Blame, 147 
Blessings, 42 
Busybody, 165, 199 


Calamity-howlers, 187 
Ceremonies (See: Forms) 
Character; 146 
Cheerfulness, 317 
Childlikeness, 104, 142, 282 


Christ, 84, 85, 86, 96, 98, 140, 


141, 292 


Christmas, 308, 310. 311, 312, 


313 
Choice, 77 
Civilization, 315 
Commands, 148 
Company, 188 
Compassion, 139 
Competence, 8 
Conceit, 133 
Concentration, 132 
Conferences, 17 
Confidence, 60 
Conscience, 131 
Contentment, 316 
Control, 38, 132 
Convictions, 120, 129 
Correction, 128 
Courage, 125, 130, 151 


Crisis, 215, 216, 217, 218, 219, 
220 

Criticism, 123, 124, 128 

Cross, 96, 154, 208, 209 

Death, 213, 220 

Debts, 305 

Decisions, 83 

Defeat, 51 

Difficulties, 40, 117, 135, 
216, 236, 267, 275 

Discontent, 89 

Diversity, 55 

Dogmatism, 144 

Doubt, 67, 68 

Duty, 90, 108, 222, 231 


Earning and Spending, 81 

Ease, 19 

Education, 78, 79, 154 

Emotion, 48 

Enemies, 33, 34 

Environment, 129, 157 

Equipment, 74, 75 

Eternal Life, 209 

Evil, 72, 73, 119, 273 

Exaggeration, 159 

Excuses, 69 

Expectations, 70 

Experiments, 45 

Facts, 71, 144 

Faith, 9, 57, 58, 59, 67, 68, 151, 
193 

False witness, 94 

Familiar things, 156 

Feelings, 48 

Forebears, (See Ancestors) 

Forget, 44, 112, 122 

Forgiveness, 302 

Forms, 145, 301 


151, 


320 


- Freedom, 214 
Friends, 128, 217, 293, 294, 295 

Generalities, 296 

Generations, 47, 53, 223, 282 

Generosity, 152, 308 

Genius, 288 

Gentleness, 290 

Glories, 66 

God, 13, 82, 91, 225, 259, 285, 

307, 308 

Gospel, 37, 87, 284 

Gossip, 124 

Gratitude, 287 

Greatness, 290 


Habitations, 10 

Half-baked, 281 

Happiness, 84, 85, 86, 233, 269 

Harshness, 39 

Haste, 38 

Head, 207 

Heart, 76, 178, 318 

Helpfulness, 36 

Heredity, 35 

History, 11 

Hope, 87, 152, 319 

Hospitality, 312 

Hymns (See: Worship) 

Ideals, 24, 109, 232 

Ideas, 21 

Idlers, 20 

Ignorance, 13, 18, 105 

Imagination, 25, 46, 201, 224 

Immortality, 10, 98, 134, 209, 
283, 306 

Impatience, 24, 158 

Indebtedness, 305 

Individual (See: Soul) 

Infallibility, 49 

Jealousy, 14, 92 

Judging, 123, 230, 264 

Justice, 116, 136, 137, 138, 162, 
163 

Knowledge, 15, 210 

Late, 32 

Laughter, 31, 317 

Law of God, 285 

Legislation, 23, 146 

Life (richness of), 28, 76, 81, 
107, 146, 161, 309 


Life-purpose, 30 
Limitations, 225, 239, 256 
Living, 161 

Loafers, 20 

Lost, 29 

Love (a5, 225 

Loyalty, 159 

Luck, 26 


Martha, 178 

Means and ends, 194, 204 

Memory, 44, 202, 286 

Men, 205, 228, 230, 261, (See 
also: People) 

Misinformation, 105 

Misplaced, 279 

Money, 8, 12, 136, 137, 138, 
195, 218, 243, 253, (See also: 
Life) 

Moods, 240 

Moral-sense, 186, 221 

Neighbour, (See: Other people 
etc. 

New Year, 7 

Nothing, 266, 271 

Now is the time, 212, 231 

Nuisance, 227 

Obedience, 314 

Officials, 27 

Old Age, 226 

Onlookers, 224 

Opportunity, 152, 212 

Orders, 148 

Organization, 190 

Other people, 162, 163, 168, 
267, 268, 269, 270, (See also: 
Men, People, etc.) 

Parables, 272 

Past, 7, 11, 222, 286 

Peace, 99, 150, 162, 196, 318 

People, 62, 80, 228, 315, (See 
also: Men, Other peop.) 

Perfectionism, 238 

Perseverance, 232, 244 

Personality (See: Soul) 

Play, 234 

Pleasure, 233 

Praise, 261, 291 

Potentialities, 230 

Prayer, 236, 241, 242 


321 


Preaching, 128, 248, 252 

Preparations, 100, 164, 311 

Pride (good and bad), 113, 126, 
133, 274, 288 

Privileges, 229 

Profiteers (See: Money) 

Programmes, 228 

Progress, 300 

Proof, 176 

Prophets, 27, 182, 184, 187 

Prosperity, 181, 306 

Publicity, 180, 262 

Quarrel, 122 

Quiet, 318 

Race-prejudice, 177 

Religion, 22, 97, 145, 175, 179, 
183, 191, 193, 197, 200, 203, 
206 

Remorse, 174 

Repentance and remorse, 64, 
174 

Resentment, 173 

Reserve power, 82, 172 

Resignation, 91 

Resiliency, 198 

Resolutions, 170 

Resourcefulness, 169 

Respect, 114, 162, 163, 168 

Respectability, 92, 93, 94, 95, 
167 

Responsibility, 166, 171, 303 

Rest, 196 

Ridiculousness, 246 

Riots, 247 

Routine, 250 

Ruler, 251 

Salvation, 167, 254, 255 

Science, 22, 256 

Secrets, (207 

Seed, 258 

Seeking, 259 

Self, 65, 110, 111, 112, 113, 114, 
115, 132, 211227, 236.1252, 
263 

Sensationalism, 262 

Sentiment and sentimentality, 
101, 289, 298 


Service, 160, 211, 276, 297 

Servility, 95 

Shortcuts, 299 

Showing off, 274 

Sickness, 219, 275 

Simplicity, 277 

Sin, 92, 93, 94, 95, 266, 268 

Small things, 237, 258, 280 

Soul, 16, 63, 114, 117, 188, 235 
260, 304 

Specialization, 189 

Speech, 143, 149, 245 

Spending, 81, 107 

Spirit, 121, 127, 198 

Stumbling-block, 263 

Statistics, 118 

Suffering (See: Cross, Diffi- 
culties) 

Sympathy, 114, 139, 185, 293 

Temptation, (See: Evil) 

Theories, 36, 304 

Things, 192, 265 

Thorns, 40 

Tolerance, 61, 185 

Transformation, 52, 88 

Troubles (See Difficulties, ete.) 

Truth, 41, 120, 249 

Tyranny, 56, 106 

Unfinished, 281 

Unity, 55 

Unseeing eyes, 46 

Vindictiveness, 54 

Virtues, 43, 270 

Volunteers, 50 

Wars, 164 

Waste, 107 

Weakness, 106 

Weeds, 192 

Will, 79, 83, 178 

Winter, 283 

Wives, 116 

Wonder, 104 

Words, 28 

Work, 17, 103 

Worship, 102, 278, 308 

Yoke, 196 

Youth, 47, 53, 223 


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